The new boundaries of California's Fourth Congressional District were set by the California Redistricting Commission in 2011, and 2012 is the first election since redistricting was completed.

The Fourth District stretches from the major population centers of Placer and El Dorado Counties to the north, to Tulare County to the south. It incorporates many of the communities that dot the foothills of the Sierras, including Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Ione, Jackson, Angels Camp, Rancho Calaveras, Oakhurst, and others.

Many of California's best-loved and most-visited natural wonders reside within the Fourth District, including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks, and El Dorado, Stanislaus, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests.