Sonoma County topographic map

San Francisco is characterized by its striking and varied topography, making it one of the most distinctive cities in the United States. The landscape features a mix of rolling hills and steep inclines, with the highest elevation reaching approximately 922 feet at Twin Peaks. The average elevation across the…

Average elevation: 207 ft

San Diego is characterized by a diverse topography that features coastal plains, rolling hills, and rugged mountain ranges. The city is situated along the Pacific Ocean, where it boasts an extensive shoreline with sandy beaches and tidal zones. As you move inland, the landscape transitions from the flat…

Average elevation: 410 ft

Oakland features a diverse topography shaped by its location along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay and the presence of the nearby coastal hills. The city sits on a flat coastal plain that gradually ascends toward the Oakland Hills to the east, where elevations can exceed 1,700 feet. The highest point…

Average elevation: 167 ft

Lake Tahoe is renowned for its dramatic topography, characterized by rugged mountain ranges and deep, crystal-clear waters. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada, the lake itself lies at an elevation of approximately 6,225 feet (1,897 meters) and spans about 22 miles (35 kilometers) in length and 12 miles (19…

Average elevation: 6,814 ft

Los Angeles is characterized by a diverse and dynamic topography. The city is predominantly situated in a basin bordered by mountain ranges, including the Santa Monica Mountains to the north and the San Gabriel Mountains to the east, with elevations reaching up to about 10,000 feet in certain areas​. This…

Average elevation: 791 ft

The San Francisco Bay Area is characterized by a diverse and dynamic topography shaped by geological processes over millions of years. This region features a combination of coastal plains, steep hills, and rugged mountains, all influenced by the tectonic activity associated with the nearby San Andreas Fault…

Average elevation: 371 ft

Average elevation: 33 ft

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 994 square miles (2,570 km2), of which 965 square miles (2,500 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (3.0%) is water. Most of the county is at an elevation close to sea level, with some areas below sea level. The highest point in the…

Average elevation: 203 ft

San Jose, located in Santa Clara County, California, features a diverse topography characterized by a mix of low-lying plains and rolling hills. The city sits at an average elevation of approximately 82 feet (25 meters) above sea level, with the surrounding terrain including the foothills of the Santa Cruz…

Average elevation: 866 ft

Average elevation: 79 ft

Berkeley, located on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, features a diverse topography characterized by rolling hills and steep slopes. The city sits at an elevation that ranges from sea level along the bay to about 1,300 feet (396 meters) in the Berkeley Hills. This hilly landscape provides stunning views…

Average elevation: 358 ft

Average elevation: 4,268 ft

Escondido has a borderline semi-arid climate (Köppen: Bsh) and hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with hot summers and cool wet winters. Owing to its inland setting it is considerably warmer than coastal cities like San Diego, Carlsbad or Oceanside during the summertime, and cooler in the winter.…

Average elevation: 896 ft

The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granite rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in the formation of deep, narrow canyons. About one…

Average elevation: 7,667 ft

Average elevation: 935 ft

Average elevation: -118 ft

Average elevation: 5,262 ft

Average elevation: 1,240 ft

Average elevation: 292 ft

Average elevation: 171 ft

Average elevation: 6,293 ft

The town is spread out on a wide ridge between deep canyons formed by the west branch of the Feather River to the east and Butte Creek to the west. The Paradise area extends northward to include the unincorporated town of Magalia, as well as Stirling City, eleven miles (18 km) north. Elevation of the area…

Average elevation: 1,522 ft

Average elevation: 3,842 ft

Average elevation: 46 ft

Average elevation: 171 ft

Average elevation: 902 ft

Average elevation: 3,524 ft

Average elevation: 85 ft

Average elevation: 79 ft

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

Average elevation: 686 ft

Average elevation: 52 ft

The area is surrounded on the southwest by the Santa Rosa Mountains, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east and San Gorgonio Mountain to the north. These mountains peak at around 11,000 feet (3,400 m) and tend to average between 5,000 and 7,000 feet (1,500 and…

Average elevation: 236 ft

Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) native to the Mojave Desert. Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree was redesignated…

Average elevation: 2,096 ft

Laguna Niguel consists of mostly hilly terrain, being located within the San Joaquin Hills. The average elevation is 400 feet (120 m); elevations range from near sea level to 936 feet (285 m) at the summit of Niguel Hill, in the southwest corner of the city. Neighboring cities are Aliso Viejo and Laguna Hills…

Average elevation: 361 ft

Average elevation: 574 ft

Average elevation: 1,247 ft

"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

Most of Bakersfield's major streets are six-lane divided roads with bike lanes, with almost every street in the city having proper lane signage for bicycle traffic. Bikes are a popular method of transportation in Bakersfield, due to the city's relatively flat topography and grid-like street system. Newer…

Average elevation: 515 ft

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

Average elevation: 794 ft

In the 1860s, San Franciscans began to feel the need for a spacious public park similar to Central Park, which was then taking shape in New York City. Golden Gate Park was carved out of unpromising sand and shore dunes that were known as the Outside Lands, in an unincorporated area west of San Francisco's…

Average elevation: 233 ft

Average elevation: 1,060 ft

Average elevation: 151 ft

An obscure portion of the Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2) in the San Gabriel Mountains cuts through Pasadena near the Angeles Crest Ranger Station. This 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of highway in the Angeles National Forest is north of La Cañada Flintridge and west of Mount Wilson and is approximately 3,000 feet (910…

Average elevation: 1,804 ft

Average elevation: 108 ft

Average elevation: 696 ft

The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in micro-climates. In San Diego's case, this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the…

Average elevation: 561 ft

Average elevation: 659 ft

Catalina is primarily composed of two distinct rock units: Catalina Schist from the Early Cretaceous (95 to 109 million years ago), and Miocene volcanic and intrusive igneous rocks. The island is rich in quartz, to the extent that some beaches on the seaward side have silvery-grey sand. These formations…

Average elevation: 197 ft