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Elevation

Elevation of Oakland

42ft

above sea level · 13 m

Oakland is a city in California with 440,838 people, the 8th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 20th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
37.80° N · 122.27° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 37° 48′ 16″ N · 122° 16′ 15″ W
UTM coordinates
10S · 564,192 E · 4,184,360 N
Zone 10 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Alameda 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)
440,838 people
56.0 sq mi of land · 7,878 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from January 2021: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Oakland had 440,838 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, about the same as in April 2020 (440,842). Its 56.0 sq mi of land work out to 7,878 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 8th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 1.1% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Alameda County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 3.4 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Oakland sits at 42 ft (13 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: Oakland is 816 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 68 mi away in a straight line and 15 ft lower than Oakland.

Of the 15 cities in California with a page, Oakland is the 4th lowest: the highest is Riverside (829 ft) and the lowest is Stockton (12 ft).

The highest point in California is Mount Whitney, at 14,494 ft according to the USGS: 14,452 ft above Oakland, 235 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 69 Irvine 54 ft
  2. 70 Boston 48 ft
  3. 71 Oakland 42 ft
  4. 72 St. Petersburg 42 ft
  5. 73 Baltimore 36 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 Oakland and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Oakland with any other point on the map. Map of Alameda County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Oakland 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 Oakland.

What is the elevation of Oakland?

Oakland is 42 feet (13 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 Oakland?

Latitude 37.80437 and longitude -122.27080, in decimal degrees (37° 48′ 16″ N · 122° 16′ 15″ W). In UTM, zone 10: 564,192 E and 4,184,360 N, on NAD83.

How does Oakland rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 20th 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 Oakland in?

Alameda County, California.

Which is higher, Oakland or Sacramento?

Oakland. Oakland sits at 42 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 15 ft, 68 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