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Elevation

Elevation of Salinas

53ft

above sea level · 16 m

Salinas is a city in California with 159,134 people, the 35th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 55th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
36.68° N · 121.66° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 36° 40′ 40″ N · 121° 39′ 20″ W
UTM coordinates
10S · 620,134 E · 4,059,966 N
Zone 10 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Monterey 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)
159,134 people
23.5 sq mi of land · 6,766 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from January 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Salinas had 159,134 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.7% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 163,539. Its 23.5 sq mi of land work out to 6,766 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 35th 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 Monterey County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.5 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Salinas sits at 53 ft (16 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: Salinas is 809 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 132 mi away in a straight line and 26 ft lower than Salinas.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is San Jose, 48 mi away in a straight line and 28 ft higher.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Salinas is the 14th 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: 14,441 ft above Salinas, 187 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 193 Carlsbad 55 ft
  2. 194 Fremont 55 ft
  3. 195 Salinas 53 ft
  4. 196 Oxnard 52 ft
  5. 197 Tracy 51 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 Salinas and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Salinas with any other point on the map. Map of Monterey County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Salinas 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 Salinas.

What is the elevation of Salinas?

Salinas is 53 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 Salinas?

Latitude 36.67774 and longitude -121.65550, in decimal degrees (36° 40′ 40″ N · 121° 39′ 20″ W). In UTM, zone 10: 620,134 E and 4,059,966 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 55th 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 Salinas in?

Monterey County, California.

Which is higher, Salinas or Sacramento?

Salinas. Salinas sits at 53 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 26 ft, 132 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