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Arcata California Map

Explore Arcata, California, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Arcata, California

How to Use This Arcata, California Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Arcata, California. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of California or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Arcata.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Arcata
State	California (CA)
County	Humboldt County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles)

Latitude	40.866517
Longitude	-124.08284
Population	18,857
Density	772.8 /km²
Incorporated	Yes
ZIP Codes	95521, 95518
Area Code	530
County Seat	Eureka
School District	Northern Humboldt Union High School District

🌦 Goto Arcata Weather Page: Arcata, California — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Arcata, California

Arcata is a locality in Humboldt County, California, United States. It has a population of 18,857. The population density is 772.8 people per km². Arcata is located at 40.8665°N, 124.0828°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. Arcata is an incorporated locality. ZIP codes: 95521, 95518.

Arcata occupies a distinctive position where the damp, rhythmic breath of the Pacific Ocean meets the verdant edges of a northern coastal landscape. It lies 5.6 miles south of McKinleyville, CA (from McKinleyville, CA: bearing 170°T), and is situated 6.1 miles northeast of Eureka. Gannon Slough winds its quiet path through the low-lying reaches, acting as a subtle arterial connection between the land and the salt-heavy air. To the east, the Arcata Community Forest offers a dense, protective canopy of emerald light that stands in stark contrast to the open, salt-sprayed expanse of the nearby coastline. The Bayside Bottoms provide a wide, reclaimed horizon that stretches toward the water, while the distant, hazy silhouettes of the Klamath Mountains anchor the eastern view. Within the immediate boundaries of the town, Arcata Community Park serves as a central gathering point for a population that lives in close dialogue with the shifting, silver-gray fog.

Arcata carries the weight of a long history defined by the extraction of timber, an industry that once dictated the pulse of every street and storefront. The local economy has since evolved, pivoting away from the singular dominance of sawmills to embrace a more diverse tapestry of educational, environmental, and small-scale commercial ventures. While the echoes of the logging era remain in the architectural bones of the older districts, the modern financial landscape is heavily influenced by the presence of Cal Poly Humboldt. The daily flow of commerce is steady and unpretentious, favoring local cooperatives and independent enterprises over the standardized sprawl found elsewhere. Beyond the immediate municipal limits, the environmental legacy of the region persists, with land management and ecological restoration now serving as foundational pillars for the regional economy.

Arcata fosters a cultural character that is deeply intellectual, fiercely independent, and perpetually curious about its own natural surroundings. The central plaza serves as the true heart of the social experience, hosting vibrant farmers markets and community gatherings that draw residents together under the filtered sunlight. Notable landmarks, such as the historic buildings surrounding the town square, provide a sense of continuity that grounds the more progressive, modern artistic impulses of the citizenry. The town has been home to influential figures like the author Raymond Carver, whose stark, evocative prose seems to mirror the quiet intensity of the northern coastal atmosphere. Whether through the seasonal festivals that animate the streets or the quietude found in the local library, Arcata maintains a pace that values thoughtful engagement over the frantic speed of larger urban centers.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Arcata Community Park (Local Park) — 0.0 mi, 157° SE
Arcata Ball Park (Local Recreation) — 0.0 mi, 313° NW
AMPT Mural (Public Artwork) — 0.3 mi, 325° NW
Jacoby Creek-Gannon Slough Wildlife Area (Local Conservation Area) — 0.3 mi, 165° S
Redwood Park (Local Park) — 0.4 mi, 074° E
Arcata Community Forest (Local Resource Management Area) — 0.4 mi, 073° E
Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary (Local Conservation Area) — 0.5 mi, 226° SW
The Arcata Sanctuary (Arts Centre) — 0.5 mi, 329° NW
Arcata Playhouse (Theatre) — 0.5 mi, 297° NW
John Van Duzer Theatre (Theatre) — 0.7 mi, 017° N
Arcata Ridge Trail (Local Recreation) — 0.8 mi, 100° E
Shay Park Plaque (Monument) — 1.0 mi, 337° NW
Mad River Slough Wildlife Area (State Conservation Area) — 1.0 mi, 274° W
Sunny Brae Forest (Local Resource Management Area) — 1.1 mi, 102° E
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 1.2 mi, 180° S · 11k acres
Samoa State Marine Conservation Area (Marine Protected Area) — 4.0 mi, 300° NW
Humboldt Coastal Nature Center (Museum) — 4.2 mi, 261° W
Blue Ox Millworks (Attraction) — 5.3 mi, 219° SW
World's Tallest Totem Pole (Attraction) — 5.4 mi, 348° N
Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum (Museum) — 5.7 mi, 223° SW
South Stairs Overlook (Viewpoint) — 5.8 mi, 336° NW
Fishermans Memorial Statue (Monument) — 5.9 mi, 227° SW
Bell Buoy (Monument) — 6.1 mi, 238° SW
Humboldt Cultural Center (Arts Centre) — 6.2 mi, 226° SW
Discovery Museum (Museum) — 6.2 mi, 223° SW
Six Rivers National Forest (National Forest) — 8.7 mi, 357° N · 978k acres
Dolason Barn (Historic Ruins) — 24.3 mi, 015° N
Hoopa Valley Museum (Museum) — 24.7 mi, 057° NE
Ironsides Museum (Museum) — 29.4 mi, 090° E
The Immortal Tree (Attraction) — 31.6 mi, 169° S

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