Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline endorheic lake in Riverside and Imperial counties in Southern California.
A lake, 8 mi east of Salton City
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 107–108°, and about 196 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Indio, 36 miles northwest. Where to stay ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 387K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 99% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
A day trip from San Diego
San Diego is about 82 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 70–82°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Salton City. Green months are the mild ones.
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline endorheic lake in Riverside and Imperial counties in Southern California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough, which stretches to the Gulf of California in Mexico. The lake is about 15 by 35 miles (24 by 56 km) at its widest and longest. A 2023 report put the surface area at 318 square miles (823.6 km2). The Salton Sea became a resort destination in the 20th century, but saw die-offs of fish and birds in the 1980s due to contamination from farm runoff, and clouds of toxic dust in the 21st century as evaporation exposed parts of the lake bed.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 343 square miles
- Elevation
- -234 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 387K a year
Where to stay near Salton Sea
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Salton City (3) and Niland (3), and Indio has the most rooms in the area (42).
Indio
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
94,269 people
36 mi northwest of Salton Sea
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Salton Sea | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salton City | 8 mi west | 10 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 RV park | 5,988 | $201K | — |
| Niland | 20 mi east | 30 min | 3 1 hotel · 2 RV parks | 1,116 | $226K | — |
| Desert Shores | 12 mi west | 20 min | 1 1 motel | 801 | $179K | — |
| Oasis | 21 mi northwest | 30 min | 3 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 4,051 | $35K | — |
| North Shore | 13 mi north | 20 min | 1 1 campground | 3,515 | $204K | — |
| Vista Santa Rosa | 29 mi northwest | 45 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 2,333 | $428K | — |
| Calipatria | 24 mi southeast | 35 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 6,012 | $197K | — |
| Coachella | 30 mi northwest | 45 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 45,411 | $368K | C |
| Indio | 36 mi northwest | 55 min | 42 20 hotels · 12 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 9 RV parks | 94,269 | $458K | C+ |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Salton Sea
Other well-known places within 70 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw128 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
23 mi LakeLake Cahuilla
316 mi MountainNiland Geyser
422 mi LandmarkSalvation Mountain
42 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Arena
33 mi State parkAnza-Borrego Desert State Park
59 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
69 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo Safari ParkPhoto credits
Joshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Cahuilla: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Niland Geyser: California Department of Transportation, Public domain · Salvation Mountain: Joe Decruyenaere, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Acrisure Arena: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Miskatonic assumed (based on copyright clai, CC BY 2.5 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Flickr user: Olivier Bruchez https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruchez/, CC BY-SA 2.0
Visiting Salton Sea
What town is Salton Sea near?
Salton City, CA, about 8 miles west.
When is the best time to visit Salton Sea?
January, February, March, November and December, with highs of 70–82°.
How far is Salton Sea from San Diego and Riverside?
About 82 miles southwest of San Diego and about 99 miles northwest of Riverside, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Salton Sea?
Imperial County (IPL), about 38 miles away. The nearest big hub is Palm Springs (PSP), about 51 miles.
Where should I stay near Salton Sea?
Salton City (8 mi, 3 places to stay), Indio (36 mi, 42 places to stay) and Niland (20 mi, 3 places to stay).
Tips from people in Salton City
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Salton City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.