It could have been brought to California by someone who moved there from another state. Lots of people move and retire there.
I'd say it probably spent its life near the beach. It's rusting from the top down, which is how cars near the ocean out here tend to rust. The hood lip rust and lack of obvious quarter panel damage gives credence the idea. But then it has new issue license plates so there's not much evidence that it's a long-time California car either.