California Valleys and Sea Level: Setting the Record Straight

Contrary to the premise, California has no valleys situated entirely above sea level. All valleys in the state exist at or below sea level. Death Valley, the most famous example, sits approximately 300 feet below sea level — the lowest point in North America. Other notable below-sea-level valleys include the Imperial Valley and parts of the Central Valley near the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

California's dramatic topography ranges from Death Valley's depths to Mount Whitney's 14,505-foot summit, but its valleys universally occupy low elevations relative to sea level.