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Elevation

Elevation of Riverside

829ft

above sea level · 253 m

Riverside is a city in California with 323,057 people, the 12th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 27th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.95° N · 117.40° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 57′ 12″ N · 117° 23′ 46″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 463,400 E · 3,757,052 N
Zone 11 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Riverside 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)
323,057 people
81.1 sq mi of land · 3,981 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from November 2018: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Riverside had 323,057 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.4% more than in April 2020, when it had 315,470. Its 81.1 sq mi of land work out to 3,981 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 12th 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 Riverside County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.1 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Riverside sits at 829 ft (253 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: Riverside is 29 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 393 mi away in a straight line and 802 ft lower than Riverside.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Riverside is the 18th highest: 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: 13,665 ft above Riverside, 188 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 25 Madison 875 ft
  2. 26 Minneapolis 830 ft
  3. 27 Riverside 829 ft
  4. 28 Greensboro 823 ft
  5. 29 Fort Wayne 810 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 Riverside and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Riverside with any other point on the map. Map of Riverside County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Riverside 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 Riverside.

What is the elevation of Riverside?

Riverside is 829 feet (253 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 Riverside?

Latitude 33.95333 and longitude -117.39611, in decimal degrees (33° 57′ 12″ N · 117° 23′ 46″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 463,400 E and 3,757,052 N, on NAD83.

How does Riverside rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 27th highest 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 Riverside in?

Riverside County, California.

Which is higher, Riverside or Sacramento?

Riverside. Riverside sits at 829 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 802 ft, 393 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