California topographic maps

One possible origin of palm in the place name comes from early Spanish explorers who referred to the area as La Palma de la Mano de Dios or "The Palm of God's hand". The earliest use of the name "Palm Springs" is from United States Topographical Engineers who used the term in 1853 maps. According to William…

Average elevation: 859 m

Average elevation: 1,105 m

Average elevation: 98 m

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: 2,337 m

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: 196 m

Average elevation: 313 m

Average elevation: 326 m

Many park visitors enter Sequoia National Park through its southern entrance near the town of Three Rivers at Ash Mountain at 1,700 ft (520 m) elevation. The lower elevations around Ash Mountain contain the only National Park Service-protected California Foothills ecosystem, consisting of blue oak woodlands,…

Average elevation: 2,515 m

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: 782 m

Average elevation: 1,429 m

Average elevation: 1,192 m

Average elevation: 60 m

Average elevation: 175 m

Average elevation: 52 m

Average elevation: 304 m

Average elevation: 84 m

Average elevation: 1,438 m

Average elevation: 57 m

Fort Yuma is located on the banks of the Colorado River in Winterhaven, California. First established after the end of the Mexican–American War in 1848, it was originally located in the bottoms near the Colorado River, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) below the mouth of the Gila River. It was to defend the newly…

Average elevation: 190 m

Average elevation: 1,571 m

Average elevation: 24 m

Average elevation: 51 m

Average elevation: 527 m

Average elevation: 152 m

Average elevation: 73 m

Average elevation: 63 m

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: 31 m

Average elevation: 628 m

Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of 2,454 feet (748 m). It is located 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Barstow, in the Calico…

Average elevation: 774 m

Friant (formerly, Converse Ferry, Jones Ferry, Hamptonville, and Pollasky) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 549 at the 2010 census, down from 778 at the 2000 census. Friant is located 11.5 miles (19 km) north of Clovis, at an elevation of 344…

Average elevation: 135 m

Average elevation: 1,228 m

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: 639 m

Average elevation: 395 m

Average elevation: 132 m

Average elevation: 113 m

Sonoma County, as is often the case with coastal counties in California, has a great degree of climatic variation and numerous, often very different, microclimates. Key determining factors for local climate are proximity to the ocean, elevation, and the presence and elevation of hills or mountains to the east…

Average elevation: 210 m

Average elevation: 1,674 m

Average elevation: 186 m

Average elevation: 264 m

Average elevation: 206 m

The prehistoric Hog Back landslide lies in the canyon of San Antonio Creek at 4000' elevation. When the slide occurred, it dammed the river, whose depth built up until the water was released catastrophically, forming a slot canyon which now holds some of the area's few good rock climbing routes (difficulty…

Average elevation: 2,675 m

Average elevation: 52 m

During and immediately after heavy snow storms it may not be possible to drive to the top of Mount Pinos Road due to the lack of snow plow availability. In such cases it is common for the Kern County Roads Department to close a snow gate lower on the mountain. It is still possible to ski from the snow gate and…

Average elevation: 2,468 m

Average elevation: 441 m

Average elevation: 147 m

Average elevation: 37 m

Annual rainfall totals are highly variable and in exceptional years like 1940–1941 and 1997–1998 over 40 inches (1.0 m) of rain have fallen in a year, but in dry seasons less than 6 inches (150 mm) is not unheard of. Snow sometimes covers higher elevations of the Santa Ynez Mountains but is extremely rare…

Average elevation: 119 m

Average elevation: 271 m

According to the United States Geological Survey, Pine Valley is located 3,736 feet (1,139 m) above sea level, at 32°49′17″N 116°31′45″W / 32.82139°N 116.52917°W / 32.82139; -116.52917. Interstate 8 passes east-to-west along the southern border of Pine Valley. It crosses the Pine Valley…

Average elevation: 1,291 m

The topography of San Ramon is varied, featuring a mix of the rolling hills of the Diablo Range and the flatter basin of the San Ramon Valley. The city is predominantly urban and residential with many new housing developments; however, much of the land around the city's perimeter regions remains undeveloped,…

Average elevation: 210 m

Average elevation: 6 m

Average elevation: 58 m

Average elevation: 604 m

Average elevation: 387 m

Average elevation: 2,676 m

Average elevation: 75 m

Janesville (also known as Lassen) is a sparsely populated census-designated place in Lassen County, California. It is located 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Susanville, at an elevation of 4239 feet (1292 m). Janesville is located on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Its population is 2,461…

Average elevation: 1,332 m

Average elevation: 598 m

Average elevation: 131 m

Average elevation: 0 m

Average elevation: 663 m

Average elevation: 2,357 m

Average elevation: 2,089 m

Newport Beach extends in elevation from sea level to the 1,161 ft (354 m) summit of Signal Peak in the San Joaquin Hills, but the official elevation is 25 ft (7.6 m) above sea level at a location of 33°37′0″N 117°53′51″W / 33.61667°N 117.89750°W / 33.61667; -117.89750 (33.616671, −117.897604).

Average elevation: 14 m

The official elevation is 30 feet (9 m) above sea level, but the city boundaries reach well into the northern section of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Average elevation: 186 m

Prunedale is a unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Salinas at an elevation of 92 feet (28 m). The population was 18,885 as of the 2020 census, up from 17,560 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined…

Average elevation: 104 m

Average elevation: 578 m

Average elevation: 263 m

Average elevation: 203 m

Average elevation: 2,073 m

Average elevation: 36 m

Average elevation: 103 m

Average elevation: 172 m

Average elevation: 133 m

Tahoe National Forest’s elevation ranges from 1,500 ft in the American River canyon to over 9,000 ft on top of mt. Lola along the Sierra Crest. The vegetation zones include mountain chaparral, mixed conifer, red fir, and eastside sage-pine/brush. Over 290 animal species inhabit Tahoe national forest along…

Average elevation: 1,426 m

Average elevation: 588 m

Average elevation: 641 m

Average elevation: 360 m

Average elevation: 1,009 m

Lost Hills (formerly, Lost Hill) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Lost Hills is located 42 miles (68 km) west-northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 305 feet (93 m). The population was 2,412 at the 2010 census, up from 1,938 at the 2000 census.

Average elevation: 82 m

Average elevation: 3,515 m

Average elevation: 129 m

Average elevation: 277 m

Average elevation: 17 m

Average elevation: 3,440 m

Elevations range from about 5,000 to 9,000 feet (1,500 to 2,700 m).

Average elevation: 2,021 m

Average elevation: 63 m

About 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of Little Grass Valley Lake lies a small, natural lily pond called Fowler Lake. Its coordinates are 39°46′27″N 121°00′19″W / 39.77417°N 121.00528°W / 39.77417; -121.00528 (Fowler Lake), and its altitude is 5,446 feet (1,660 m).

Average elevation: 1,644 m

Ventura County can be separated into two major parts, East County and West County, which are divided by the Conejo Grade. East County consists of all cities east of the Conejo Grade. Geographically East County is the end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in which the Conejo Valley is located, and where there is a…

Average elevation: 331 m

Average elevation: 184 m

Average elevation: 353 m

Average elevation: 57 m

Average elevation: -1 m

Average elevation: 1,698 m

The town of Lake Isabella is located 35 miles (56 km) east-northeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2,513 feet (766 m). The population was 3,466 at the 2010 census, up from 3,315 at the 2000 census.

Average elevation: 994 m

Helendale is located in a generally flat area in the Mojave Desert, between Victorville and Barstow. It is located 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Los Angeles and 180 miles (290 km) southwest of Las Vegas at an elevation of 2,464 feet (751 m).

Average elevation: 827 m

Average elevation: 193 m

Wofford Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County, California, United States. Wofford Heights is located in the west Kern River Valley, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-southwest of Kernville, at an elevation of 2,684 feet (818 m). The population was 2,200 at the 2010…

Average elevation: 1,117 m

At an elevation of approximately 2,350 feet (720 m) above sea level, a unique setting is created by the Sacramento River in which class 3 whitewater rapids are usually created during summer run off through a town of about 2,000 residents. In plain view from some of the city's public streets, this may be one of…

Average elevation: 1,077 m

Average elevation: 1,277 m