Hollister, California, has an elevation of 289 feet above sea level.
Hollister is located in San Benito County on California’s Central Coast, in a valley near the western foothills of the Diablo Range. Its relatively low elevation helps explain the city’s agricultural character, including orchards, vineyards, and other crops grown in the surrounding fertile lands.
The 289-foot figure is a reference elevation for the city, not a measurement that applies identically to every point within its boundaries. Elevation can vary slightly depending on the map datum, survey point, or whether a source is describing downtown, a nearby feature, or the wider urban area. Some topographic references therefore round the number or report a value just under 289 feet.
Hollister’s geography is also notable for geology. The Calaveras Fault, a branch of the San Andreas Fault system, runs through the city and is associated with visible aseismic creep. That unusual movement, rather than the city’s modest elevation, is why Hollister is sometimes called an “Earthquake Capital of the World.”