UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                             CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
                          TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) January 19, 2006
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                            City National Corporation
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                                    Delaware
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                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

                    1-10521                          95-2568550
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           (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                   City National Center
    400 North Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, California           90210
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         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)             (Zip Code)

                                 (310) 888-6000
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              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

                                 Not Applicable
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          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

     Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

|_|  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))







Items 2.02 and 7.01. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION and
REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

     On January 19,  2006,  City  National  Corporation  issued a press  release
reporting  its  financial  results for the year and quarter  ended  December 31,
2005.  A copy of the press  release is  attached  hereto as Exhibit  99.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference. This information is being furnished under both
Item  2.02  (Results  of  Operations  and  Financial  Condition)  and Item  7.01
(Regulation FD Disclosure) of Form 8-K.

Item 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

     (c) Press release dated January 19, 2006 reporting the financial results of
City National Corporation for the year and quarter ended December 31, 2005.



                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        CITY NATIONAL CORPORATION


January 19, 2006                        /s/ Christopher J. Carey
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                                        Christopher J. Carey
                                        Executive Vice President and
                                        Chief Financial Officer
                                        (Authorized Officer and
                                          Principal Financial Officer)