UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM N-CSR

                   CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
                         MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES


Investment Company Act file number   811-4646
                                   ------------


                         AXP CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT TRUST
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               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)


   50606 AXP Financial Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota                55474
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         (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip code)


Leslie L. Ogg - 901 S. Marquette Avenue, Suite 2810, Minneapolis, MN 55402-3268
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                     (Name and address of agent for service)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (612) 330-9283
                                                    -----------------

Date of fiscal year end:     6/30
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Date of reporting period:   12/31
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Item 1. Reports to Shareholders.

Information for AXP California Tax-Exempt Fund is incorporated by reference to
Form N-CSR for AXP Special Tax-Exempt Series Trust, Investment Company Act File
No. 811-4647 filed electronically on or about March 5, 2004.


Item 2.    Code of Ethics. Not applicable for semi-annual reports.

Item 3.    Audit Committee Financial Expert. Not applicable for semi-annual
           reports.

Item 4.    Principal Accountant Fees and Services.  Not applicable for
           semi-annual reports.

Item 5.    Audit Committee of Listed Registrants. Not applicable.

Item 6.    [Reserved]

Item 7.    Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End
           Management Investment Companies. Not applicable.

Item 8.    Purchase of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment
           Company and Affiliated Purchasers. Not applicable.

Item 9.    Submission of matters to a vote of security holders. Not applicable
           at this time.

Item 10.   Controls and Procedures.

           (a) The registrant's Principal Executive Officer and Principal
           Financial Officer have evaluated the registrant's disclosure
           controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have
           concluded that the registrant's disclosure controls and
           procedures by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded,
           processed, summarized, and reported timely.

           (b) At the date of filing this Form N-CSR, the registrant's Principal
           Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer are aware of no
           significant changes in the registrant's internal controls or in
           other factors that could significantly affect these controls
           subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any
           corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and
           material weaknesses.

Item 11.   Exhibits.

           (a)(1) Not applicable for semi-annual reports.

           (a)(2) Separate  certification  for the  Registrant's  principal
           executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by
           Section 302 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 and Rule 30a-2(a)
           under  the  Investment  Company  Act of  1940,  are  attached  as
           EX.99.CERT.

           (a)(3) Not applicable.

           (b) A certification by the Registrant's  principal executive officer
           and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the
           Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment
           Company Act of 1940, is attached as EX.99.906 CERT.



                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

(Registrant)                  AXP California Tax-Exempt Trust


By                        /s/ Paula R. Meyer
                          ------------------
                              Paula R. Meyer
                              President and Principal Executive Officer

Date                          March 5, 2004

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
Investment  Company  Act of  1940,  this  report  has been  signed  below by the
following  persons on behalf of the  registrant and in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.


By                        /s/ Paula R. Meyer
                          ------------------
                              Paula R. Meyer
                              President and Principal Executive Officer

Date                          March 5, 2004


By                        /s/ Jeffrey P. Fox
                          ------------------
                              Jeffrey P. Fox
                              Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

Date                          March 5, 2004