Cal Poly Pomona is situated in Pomona, a largely suburban city that is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The city of Pomona is located in the eastern portion of Los Angeles County and borders the neighboring county of San Bernardino to the east. The university’s 1,725 acres (698 ha) campus make it the second largest in the California State University system, a figure which includes various facilities scattered throughout Southern California such as a 53-acre (21 ha) ranch in Santa Paula, California, 25-acre (10 ha) campus at the former Spadra Landfill (now known as "Spadra Ranch"), and the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The university is currently negotiating the transfer of the 302 acre Lanterman Developmental Center from the State of California. The land is to be used for academic purposes and expansion of the Innovation Village and also shared by the California Highway Patrol, the California Air Resources Board and the California Conservation Corps. The transfer of the land is part of the Governor's 2015-2016 Proposed Budget.
Although part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the university is in close proximity to two other large metropolitan and culturally-defined regions, the Inland Empire and Orange County. The university has a tier 1 area, defined as a geographical admissions region surrounding the campus, roughly bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, the city of Chino Hills to the south, Interstate 605 to the west, and Interstate 15 to the east. Cal Poly Pomona's campus buildings vary in age and style from the Mission Revival Kellogg Horse Stables and the Kellogg House (suggesting the Spanish colonial architectural heritage of Southern California) built in the 1920s; the modernist box-like portion of the library completed in 1969; to contemporary dormitories, engineering, science and library-expansion facilities completed in the early 21st century. The library at Cal Poly Pomona is home to many research worthy books, but they do lack books for regular entertainment. The graphic novel department only amounts to about one bookshelf according to Reference and Instruction Librarian Paul Hottinger.
Currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Cal State University has shifted to an online only setting.