United States
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 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):               October 15, 2003



                            CITY NATIONAL CORPORATION
      --------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)





           Delaware                    1-10521               95-2568550
-------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of   (Commission file  (IRS employer identification
        incorporation)                number)                 no.)


City National Center
400 North Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, California                   90210
-----------------------------------------------------           ----------------
      (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code              (310) 888-6000
                                                              ------------------


                                 Not applicable
                  --------------------------------------------
          (former name or former address, if changed since last report)





Item 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)      Exhibits.

         99.1  Press release dated October 15, 2003 reporting  financial results
               for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003.


Items
9 & 12.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL
         CONDITION.

         On October 15, 2003, City National  Corporation issued a press release
         reporting its financial  results for the quarter and nine months ended
         September 30, 2003. 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 9 (Regulation FD Disclosure)  and
         Item 12 (Results of Operations  and Financial  Condition) of Form 8-K.
         This  information  shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section
         18 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
         Act"), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities
         Act of 1933,  as  amended,  or the  Exchange  Act,  except as shall be
         expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.



                                   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


October 15, 2003                              /s/   Frank P. Pekny
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Frank P. Pekny
                                              Executive Vice President and
                                              Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
                                              (Authorized Officer and
                                              Principal Financial Officer)