Thursday, June 25, 2026

Question: Which California desert town near the Salton Sea sits about 180 feet below sea level, the lowest-elevation city in the Western Hemisphere, and flies the American flag from a 184-foot pole built so it waves at sea level?

Answer: Calipatria, a small town in the Colorado Desert near the Salton Sea. At roughly 180 feet below sea level, it is the lowest-elevation city in the Western Hemisphere, and its 184-foot flagpole was built so the American flag flies at sea level rather than below it.