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):                March 15, 2004



                            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
 incorporation)                            number)           identification no.)


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


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 March 15, 2004  announcing  the stepping down of
          Chief Financial Officer for health reasons.



Item 9.   REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

          On March 15, 2004,  City National  Corporation  issued a press release
          announcing  that its Chief  Financial  Officer was  stepping  down for
          health  reasons.  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 Item 9 (Regulation  FD  Disclosure) 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
March 15, 2004                              /s/   Stephen D. McAvoy
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Stephen D. McAvoy
                                            Acting Chief Financial Officer and
                                            Controller
                                            (Authorized Officer and
                                            Principal Financial Officer)