El Centro is a city in southeastern California, in Imperial County, near the U.S.–Mexico border.

Quick Scoop

  • El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County in Southern California.
  • It sits in the Imperial Valley/Colorado Desert, about 120 miles east of San Diego and roughly 10–20 miles north of Mexicali, Mexico.
  • The city is just a few miles north of the international border and lies below sea level (around 50 feet or 15 meters below), making it the largest U.S. city entirely below sea level.
  • Major access routes include Interstate 8 and California State Highways 86 and 111.

In simple terms: if you drive east from San Diego along I‑8 toward the Arizona border, El Centro is the main desert city you hit in the Imperial Valley, just above Mexicali.

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