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Elevation

Elevation of Irvine

54ft

above sea level · 16 m

Irvine is a city in California with 318,764 people, the 13th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 23rd lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.67° N · 117.82° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 40′ 10″ N · 117° 49′ 23″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 423,693 E · 3,725,812 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)
318,764 people
65.6 sq mi of land · 4,858 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from October 2023: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Irvine had 318,764 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 3.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 307,656. Its 65.6 sq mi of land work out to 4,858 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 13th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 0.8% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Orange County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 3.0 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Irvine sits at 54 ft (16 m) above sea level. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, the highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft). The average is 858 ft: Irvine is 804 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 396 mi away in a straight line and 27 ft lower than Irvine.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Irvine is the 15th 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: 14,440 ft above Irvine, 203 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 67 San Diego 63 ft
  2. 68 San Francisco 55 ft
  3. 69 Irvine 54 ft
  4. 70 Boston 48 ft
  5. 71 Oakland 42 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 Irvine and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Irvine 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 Irvine 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 Irvine.

What is the elevation of Irvine?

Irvine is 54 feet (16 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 Irvine?

Latitude 33.66947 and longitude -117.82311, in decimal degrees (33° 40′ 10″ N · 117° 49′ 23″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 423,693 E and 3,725,812 N, on NAD83.

How does Irvine rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 23rd lowest of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people. The highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft).

What county is Irvine in?

Orange County, California.

Which is higher, Irvine or Sacramento?

Irvine. Irvine sits at 54 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 27 ft, 396 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