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Elevation

Elevation of Downey

119ft

above sea level · 36 m

Downey is a city in California with 108,468 people, the 64th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 78th lowest.

By the All Map Tools Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.94° N · 118.13° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 56′ 24″ N · 118° 7′ 57″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 395,334 E · 3,756,083 N
Zone 11 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Los Angeles 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)
108,468 people
12.4 sq mi of land · 8,740 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from June 2024: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Downey had 108,468 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 5.1% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 114,354. Its 12.4 sq mi of land work out to 8,740 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 64th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 0.3% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Los Angeles County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.2 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Downey sits at 119 ft (36 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: Downey is 743 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 371 mi away in a straight line and 92 ft lower than Downey.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Los Angeles, 10 mi away in a straight line and 165 ft higher.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Downey is the 32nd 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: 14,375 ft above Downey, 183 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 169 Inglewood 130 ft
  2. 170 Sunnyvale 124 ft
  3. 171 Downey 119 ft
  4. 172 McAllen 119 ft
  5. 173 Lowell 117 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 Downey and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Downey with any other point on the map. Map of Los Angeles County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Downey 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 Downey.

What is the elevation of Downey?

Downey is 119 feet (36 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 Downey?

Latitude 33.94001 and longitude -118.13257, in decimal degrees (33° 56′ 24″ N · 118° 7′ 57″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 395,334 E and 3,756,083 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 78th 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 Downey in?

Los Angeles County, California.

Which is higher, Downey or Sacramento?

Downey. Downey sits at 119 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 92 ft, 371 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