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Elevation

Elevation of Carlsbad

55ft

above sea level · 17 m

Carlsbad is a city in California with 112,260 people, the 59th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 56th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.16° N · 117.35° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 9′ 29″ N · 117° 21′ 2″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 467,307 E · 3,668,868 N
Zone 11 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
San Diego County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
California
CA · capital: Sacramento
Time zone
Pacific Time
UTC−8 · UTC−7 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
112,260 people
37.8 sq mi of land · 2,969 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from December 2023: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Carlsbad had 112,260 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.2% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 114,732. Its 37.8 sq mi of land work out to 2,969 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 59th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 0.3% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within San Diego County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 4.3 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Carlsbad sits at 55 ft (17 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Carlsbad is 807 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 441 mi away in a straight line and 28 ft lower than Carlsbad.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is San Diego, 33 mi away in a straight line and 8 ft higher.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Carlsbad is the 16th lowest: the highest is Hesperia (3,178 ft) and the lowest is Stockton (12 ft).

The highest point in California is Mount Whitney, at 14,494 ft according to the USGS: 14,439 ft above Carlsbad, 242 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 191 Vallejo 69 ft
  2. 192 Springfield 68 ft
  3. 193 Carlsbad 55 ft
  4. 194 Fremont 55 ft
  5. 195 Salinas 53 ft

Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list

Nearest cities with a page

Tools for this place

Elevation profile Draw a route from Carlsbad and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Carlsbad with any other point on the map. Map of San Diego County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Carlsbad and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of California counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Step-by-step guide How to find the elevation of any place

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Carlsbad.

What is the elevation of Carlsbad?

Carlsbad is 55 feet (17 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.

What are the coordinates of Carlsbad?

Latitude 33.15809 and longitude -117.35059, in decimal degrees (33° 9′ 29″ N · 117° 21′ 2″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 467,307 E and 3,668,868 N, on NAD83.

How does Carlsbad rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 56th lowest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Carlsbad in?

San Diego County, California.

Which is higher, Carlsbad or Sacramento?

Carlsbad. Carlsbad sits at 55 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 28 ft, 441 mi apart in a straight line.

How is elevation measured?

Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.

Sources

  • USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
  • USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
  • TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
  • timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
  • Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).

Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know