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Elevation is a key term when talking about any mountain and it's vital to not confuse elevation with prominence. The prominence of a mountain tells us how tall it is from its base to it summit, whereas the elevation of a mountain is a measurement of its height in relation to sea level. The prominence of Mt Baldy is 6,224 feet (1,897 m), whereas the elevation of Mt Baldy is 10,064 feet (3,068 m). It's not the highest mountain in the state of California but is the highest elevation point in Los Angeles County.
Nearby locations like the unincorporated community of Mt Baldy and the Baldy Ski Resort also have high elevations. The elevation of the Mt Baldy unincorporated community is 4,193 feet (1,278 m). The Mt Baldy Ski Resort has a base elevation of 6,500 feet (2,000 m) and a top elevation of 8,600 feet (2,600 m). The nearby city of Los Angeles has an average elevation of around 285 feet (87 m), but the city has very different elevations at various points. Its highest point is Mt Lukens, which has an elevation of 5,075 feet (1,547 m). Meanwhile, the lowest point in Los Angeles is the Pacific Ocean itself, which is at sea level.
The mean elevation in the state of California is 2,900 feet (880 m), making it the 11th highest state overall. Mt Baldy's elevation is therefore much higher than the state average. The highest point in California is Mount Whitney, which has an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m), while the lowest point is Badwater Basin, found in Death Valley, which has an elevation of 279 feet (85 m) below sea level. Other major California cities include San Francisco, which has an elevation of 52 feet (16 m), San Diego, which has an elevation of 62 feet (19 m), and the capital of Sacramento, which has an elevation of 30 feet (9 m).