California topographic maps
Click on a map to view its topography, its elevation and its terrain.
Big Bear Lake
United States > California > San Bernardino County > Big Bear Lake
At a surface elevation of 6,743 ft (2,055 m) above sea level, it has an east-west length of approximately seven miles (11 km) and is approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a little more than 1⁄2 mi (0.8 km). These approximations are based on the…
Average elevation: 7,247 ft
La Jolla
United States > California > San Diego County > San Diego > La Jolla
Average elevation: 121 ft
Palm Springs
United States > California > Riverside County
Palm Springs, located in the Coachella Valley, is characterized by striking topography shaped by both the Colorado Desert and surrounding mountain ranges. The city lies at an average elevation of around 480 feet (146 meters) above sea level. To the west, the San Bernardino Mountains rise dramatically, with…
Average elevation: 2,818 ft
Glacier Point
United States > California > Mariposa County > Curry Village
Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley in the U.S. state of California. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 7,214 feet (2,199 m), 3,200 feet (980 m) above Curry Village. The point offers a superb view of several of Yosemite National Park's well-known landmarks,…
Average elevation: 5,823 ft
Idyllwild-Pine Cove
United States > California > Riverside County
"Mile-high Idyllwild" is a mountain resort about one-mile (1,600 m) in altitude. Idyllwild is flanked by two large rock formations, Tahquitz Peak and Suicide Rock (also known as Lily Rock), which are famous in Southern California rock-climbing circles. It offers no skiing, so "the Hill" has been minimally…
Average elevation: 5,728 ft
Yucca Valley
United States > California > San Bernardino County
Yucca Valley lies in the middle of the Morongo Basin at a base elevation of 3,300 feet. Joshua Tree National Park is adjacent to its southern border.
Average elevation: 3,629 ft
Fort Bragg
United States > California > Mendocino County
Fort Bragg, officially the City of Fort Bragg, is a city along the Pacific Coast of California along Shoreline Highway in Mendocino County. The city is 24 miles (39 km) west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet (26 m). Its population was 6,983 at the 2020 census.
Average elevation: 26 ft
Pollock Pines
United States > California > El Dorado County
Pollock Pines is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pollock Pines lies at an elevation of 3,980 feet (1,210 m) in the Sierra Nevada. The population was 6,871 at the 2010 census,…
Average elevation: 3,681 ft
San Diego
United States > California > San Diego County > San Diego
The climate in San Diego, like most of Southern California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in microclimates. In San Diego, this is mostly because of the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May…
Average elevation: 187 ft
Mammoth Lakes
United States > California > Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, the county's only incorporated community. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of 7,880 feet (2,400 m). As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,234, reflecting a 16% increase from the 2000 Census.
Average elevation: 7,165 ft
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
United States > California > Santa Cruz County > Day Valley
Average elevation: 778 ft
Orange County Great Park
United States > California > Orange County > Irvine
Average elevation: 381 ft
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park lies in a unique geologic setting along the western margin of the Salton Trough. This major topographic depression with the Salton Sink having elevations of 200 ft (61 m) below sea level, forms the northernmost end of an active rift valley and a geological continental plate…
Average elevation: 1,988 ft
Laytonville
United States > California > Mendocino County
Laytonville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located 23 miles (37 km) north-northwest of Willits, at an elevation of 1,670 feet (510 m). The population was 1,152 at the 2020 census, down from 1,227 at the 2010 census.
Average elevation: 1,949 ft
Thousand Oaks
United States > California > Ventura County > Thousand Oaks
The northern parts consist of mountainous terrain in the Simi Hills, Conejo Mountains and Mount Clef Ridge. Narrow canyons such as Hill Canyon cut through the steeper mountainous areas. Conejo Mountain and Conejo Grade are found in westernmost Newbury Park, while the southernmost parts of Thousand Oaks are…
Average elevation: 994 ft
Sebastopol
United States > California > Sonoma County
Sebastopol's elevation is 65 to 250 feet (20 to 76 meters) above sea level. Its downtown is at the intersection of State Route 12 and State Route 116 (Gravenstein Highway), approximately 9 mi (14 km) west of U.S. Route 101.
Average elevation: 226 ft
Morgan Hill
United States > California > Santa Clara County > Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill is approximately 39 km (24 mi) south of downtown San Jose, 21 km (13 mi) north of Gilroy, and 24 km (15 mi) inland from the Pacific coast. Lying in a roughly 6 km-wide (4-mi-wide) southern extension of the Santa Clara Valley, it is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo…
Average elevation: 476 ft
Tenaya Lake
United States > California > Mariposa County
Tenaya Lake is an alpine lake in Yosemite National Park, located between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. The surface of Tenaya Lake has an elevation of 8,150 feet (2,484 m). The lake basin was formed by glacial action, which left a backdrop of light granite rocks, whose beauty was known to the Native…
Average elevation: 8,547 ft
Crescent City
United States > California > Del Norte County
The topography of the sea floor surrounding Crescent City has the effect of focusing tsunamis. According to researchers at Humboldt State University and the University of Southern California, the city experienced tsunami conditions 31 times between the years 1933 and 2008. Although many of these incidents were…
Average elevation: 20 ft
Placerville
United States > California > Placerville
The region east of Placerville, popularly known as Apple Hill and Pleasant Valley, is becoming a center for wine production. The wine region is officially designated as the El Dorado AVA. The largest wineries in the area are Boeger, Lava Cap and Madrona, but most of the 30 plus wineries surrounding Placerville…
Average elevation: 1,926 ft
Rancho Cordova
United States > California > Sacramento County
In the Gold Rush era of mid-19th-century California, certain Placer mining activities took place in the Rancho Cordova environs, some traces of which disturbance are extant. The elevation of the generally level terrain is approximately 118 feet (36 m) above mean sea level. Lone Star Gravel Company and other…
Average elevation: 102 ft
Ramona
United States > California > San Diego County > Ramona
In January 2006, Ramona Valley was designated the country's 162nd American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which recognized the area for its distinctive microclimate, elevation, and soil attributes.
Average elevation: 1,529 ft
Horseshoe Lake
United States > California > Alameda County > Fremont > Eberly
Average elevation: 75 ft
Angeles National Forest
United States > California > Los Angeles County
The Angeles National Forest manages the habitats, flora and fauna ecosystems, and watersheds. Some of the rivers with watersheds within its boundaries provide valuable non-groundwater recharge water for Southern California. The existing protected and restored native vegetation absorb and slow surface runoff of…
Average elevation: 2,566 ft
Pacific Palisades
United States > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles
Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed became a refuge for Jewish artists and intellectuals fleeing the Holocaust. The Palisades would later be sought after by celebrities and other high-profile individuals seeking privacy. It is known for its…
Average elevation: 643 ft
San Martin
United States > California > Santa Clara County > San Martin
Due to the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean, San Martin enjoys a warm, Mediterranean climate. Temperatures range from an average midsummer maximum of 90.2°F (32.3°C) to an average midwinter low of 33.6 °F (0.9 °C). Average annual rainfall is 480 mm (18.9 in), and the summer months are typically…
Average elevation: 328 ft
Forbestown
United States > California > Butte County
Forbestown (formerly, Boles Dry Diggins and Forbes Diggins) is a census-designated place in Butte County, California. It lies at an elevation of 2772 feet (845 m). Its zip code is 95941 and its area code is 530. Forbestown had a population of 320 at the 2010 census.
Average elevation: 2,654 ft
Rancho Santa Fe
The climate of Rancho Santa Fe is, for the most part, typical of the San Diego metropolitan area though its higher elevation and inland location lends itself to larger temperature variations.
Average elevation: 203 ft
Mount Davidson
United States > California > San Francisco
Mount Davidson is the highest natural point in San Francisco, California, with an elevation of 928 feet (283 m). It is located near the geographical center of the city, south of Twin Peaks and Portola Drive and to the west of Diamond Heights and Glen Park. It dominates the southeastern view from most of…
Average elevation: 453 ft
Twentynine Palms
United States > California > Twentynine Palms
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 59.1 square miles (153 km2), all land. The city is at an elevation of 1,988 feet (606 m). The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms is located there.
Average elevation: 2,264 ft
Hemet
United States > California > Hemet
Dedicated to James Simpson, Hemet City Council 1947–48, and mayor 1950 to 1966. Simpson Park is a wilderness park located in the Santa Rosa Hills southeast of Hemet with sheltered picnic area and tables, barbecues, restrooms, and hiking trails. At an elevation of 2,500 feet (760 m), it provides an expansive…
Average elevation: 1,667 ft
Susanville
United States > California > Lassen County
Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the southern part of the county, at an elevation of 4,186 feet (1,276 m). Its population is 16,728 as of the 2020 census, down from 17,947 from…
Average elevation: 4,413 ft
Independence
Independence is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California. Independence is located 41 miles (66 km) south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3930 feet (1198 m). It is the county seat of Inyo County, California. The population of this census-designated place was 669 at the 2010 census, up from…
Average elevation: 3,934 ft
Mojave National Preserve
Climate in the preserve varies greatly. Summer temperatures average 90 °F (32 °C), with highs exceeding 105 °F (41 °C). Elevations in the preserve range from 7,929 feet (2,417 m) at Clark Mountain to 880 feet (270 m) near Baker. Annual precipitation varies from 3.37 inches (86 mm) near Baker, to almost 9…
Average elevation: 3,146 ft
Lassen National Forest
An ancient volcano, known as Mount Tehama is believed to have been much larger and taller than Lassen Peak. Its erosion is responsible for the topography of the national forest and the national park: a volcanic rim, with elevations beginning at 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level.
Average elevation: 4,895 ft
Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest covers, in descending order of forestland area, the eastern portions of Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties, adjacent to the southern part of Yosemite National Park. It includes more than 1,300,000 acres (2,000 sq mi; 5,300 km2), at altitudes ranging from 900 to 13,986 feet (274 to…
Average elevation: 6,519 ft
