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) April 20, 2005
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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 April 20, 2005 City National  Corporation  issued a press
                    release  reporting its financial  results for quarter ending
                    March 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  April  20,  2005  reporting  the
                    financial  results  of  City  National  Corporation  for the
                    quarter ending March 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


April 20, 2005                     /s/  Christopher J. Carey
                                   -------------------------------------
                                   Christopher J. Carey
                                   Executive Vice President and
                                   Chief Financial Officer
                                   (Authorized Officer and
                                   Principal Financial Officer)