Big Bear Lake, CA elevation
Downtown Big Bear Lake sits at 6,752 ft (2,058 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 7,323 ft, 3.9 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
6,752ft
2,058 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 34.24390, -116.91142 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 6,733 to 7,323 ft
- 2,052 to 2,232 m · 164 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 6,884 ft (2,098 m)
- Source: USGS 3DEP
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Check your exact spot in Big Bear Lake
Elevation changes from street to street. Use your location, search an address or click the map to get the USGS value for one point. Green pins mark the points named on this page.
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Elevation range inside the city limits
Big Bear Lake covers 6.3 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 164 sampled points run from 6,733 ft (2,052 m) to 7,323 ft (2,232 m), a spread of 590 ft. The average of those points is 6,884 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 164 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 323 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 6,752 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Big Bear Lake (6,752 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 78 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Home canning
- Above 1,000 ft, USDA processing times and pressure-canner pounds go up.
- Canning adjustments
Sources: pressure from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA, NASA, USAF); boiling point from the Antoine equation for water (Lange's Handbook of Chemistry); canning thresholds from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Not medical or food-safety advice; follow the tested USDA recipe for your altitude.
Big Bear Lake compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Mammoth Lakes, CA7,873 ft
- Park City, UT7,014 ft
- Big Bear Lake (downtown)6,752 ft
- Bishop, CA4,145 ft
- Yucaipa, CA2,625 ft
- Banning, CA2,344 ft
- Redlands, CA1,360 ft
- Highland, CA1,311 ft
- San Bernardino, CA1,051 ft
- Montpelier, VT522 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Big Bear Lake | 6,752 ft (2,058 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 7,323 ft (2,232 m) · 3.9 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 6,733 ft (2,052 m) · 2.3 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Big Bear City (L35) | 6,752 ft (2,058 m) · 3.4 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Big Bear Lake at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,044 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 6.3 sq mi (16.2 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | San Bernardino | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Big Bear Lake | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 34.24390, -116.91142 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Las Vegas, NV — 1,996 ft, 167 mi (268 km) away
- Bishop, CA — 4,145 ft, 231 mi (372 km) away
- Mammoth Lakes, CA — 7,873 ft, 262 mi (422 km) away
- Phoenix, AZ — 1,088 ft, 283 mi (455 km) away
- Scottsdale, AZ — 1,259 ft, 292 mi (470 km) away
- All California elevations
Tools pre-filled for 6,752 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Big Bear Lake, CA?
Downtown Big Bear Lake is 6,752 ft (2,058 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 164 sampled points run from 6,733 to 7,323 ft.
What is the highest point in Big Bear Lake?
The highest of our 164 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 7,323 ft (2,232 m), about 3.9 mi from downtown (34.2292, -116.8446). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Big Bear Lake?
The lowest sampled point is 6,733 ft (2,052 m), about 2.3 mi from downtown. That is 590 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Big Bear Lake?
At 6,752 ft, water boils at about 199.7 °F (93.2 °C) and standard air pressure is 23.31 inHg (789 hPa), so each breath holds about 78% of the oxygen it would at sea level. Cooking times for pasta, eggs and beans run a little longer than at sea level.
What is the elevation of the airport near Big Bear Lake?
Big Bear City (L35), 3.4 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 6,752.4 ft (2,058 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Big Bear Lake?
Yes. At 6,752 ft downtown, USDA tables call for longer boiling-water processing times and higher weighted-gauge pressure than at sea level. Check your own address, because the city spans 6,733 to 7,323 ft.
Sources
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — downtown elevation and every sampled point
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files (places, states; 1:500,000) — city boundary used for sampling
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — land area and Census place match
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (cities and towns, July 1, 2024) — population
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Domestic Names — city-center coordinates, county and topo map name
- FAA Aeronautical Information Services, Airports (field elevation) — airport field elevation
- U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA/NASA/USAF); water boiling point by the Antoine equation (Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry) — boiling point, air pressure and oxygen
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning — canning altitude thresholds
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made