Los Angeles Elevation: From Sea Level to Mount Lukens

Los Angeles spans extreme elevation ranges:

• Average elevation: 28 m (92 ft) above sea level
• Lowest point: Sea level (0 m) – Wilmington/San Pedro harbor area
• Highest point: Mount Lukens (Sister Elsie Peak) – 1,546 m (5,072 ft) in the San Gabriel Mountains, NE city limits
• Highest developed area: ~1,000 m (3,300 ft) in neighborhoods like Shadow Hills, La Tuna Canyon

Context

• LA Basin: flat, low-lying (former floodplain)
• Santa Monica Mountains: bisect city (400–900 m)
• San Gabriel Mountains: steep north wall (up to 3,000 m just outside city)
• Elevation affects: temperature (lapse rate), air quality (inversion layers), fire risk, water pressure zones

Few global megacities combine beach-level and alpine terrain within municipal boundaries.