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Elevation

Elevation of Oceanside

70ft

above sea level · 21 m

Oceanside is a city in California with 170,483 people, the 29th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 60th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.20° N · 117.38° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 11′ 45″ N · 117° 22′ 46″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 464,629 E · 3,673,066 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)
170,483 people
41.3 sq mi of land · 4,131 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from December 2023: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Oceanside had 170,483 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.1% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 174,158. Its 41.3 sq mi of land work out to 4,131 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 29th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 0.4% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within San Diego County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 4.7 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Oceanside sits at 70 ft (21 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: Oceanside is 792 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 438 mi away in a straight line and 43 ft lower than Oceanside.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is San Diego, 36 mi away in a straight line and 7 ft lower.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Oceanside is the 22nd 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: 14,424 ft above Oceanside, 239 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 188 Concord 75 ft
  2. 189 Santa Clara 72 ft
  3. 190 Oceanside 70 ft
  4. 191 Vallejo 69 ft
  5. 192 Springfield 68 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 Oceanside and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Oceanside 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 Oceanside 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 Oceanside.

What is the elevation of Oceanside?

Oceanside is 70 feet (21 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 Oceanside?

Latitude 33.19587 and longitude -117.37948, in decimal degrees (33° 11′ 45″ N · 117° 22′ 46″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 464,629 E and 3,673,066 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 60th 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 Oceanside in?

San Diego County, California.

Which is higher, Oceanside or Sacramento?

Oceanside. Oceanside sits at 70 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 43 ft, 438 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