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Elevation

Elevation of Costa Mesa

100ft

above sea level · 30 m

Costa Mesa is a city in California with 108,881 people, the 63rd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 73rd lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.64° N · 117.92° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 38′ 28″ N · 117° 55′ 7″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 414,806 E · 3,722,745 N
Zone 11 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Orange 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)
108,881 people
15.8 sq mi of land · 6,887 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from November 2018: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Costa Mesa had 108,881 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.9% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 112,178. Its 15.8 sq mi of land work out to 6,887 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 63rd 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 Orange County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.8 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Costa Mesa sits at 100 ft (30 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: Costa Mesa is 762 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 395 mi away in a straight line and 73 ft lower than Costa Mesa.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Irvine, 5.8 mi away in a straight line and 46 ft lower.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Costa Mesa is the 29th 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: 14,394 ft above Costa Mesa, 204 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 175 Hayward 106 ft
  2. 176 Fayetteville 102 ft
  3. 177 Costa Mesa 100 ft
  4. 178 New Bedford 99 ft
  5. 179 Edinburg 94 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 Costa Mesa and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Costa Mesa with any other point on the map. Map of Orange County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Costa Mesa 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.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Costa Mesa.

What is the elevation of Costa Mesa?

Costa Mesa is 100 feet (30 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 Costa Mesa?

Latitude 33.64113 and longitude -117.91867, in decimal degrees (33° 38′ 28″ N · 117° 55′ 7″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 414,806 E and 3,722,745 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 73rd 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 Costa Mesa in?

Orange County, California.

Which is higher, Costa Mesa or Sacramento?

Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa sits at 100 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 73 ft, 395 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