GTA San Andreas Map: All Cities, Towns & Locations Guide (2026)
Getting lost in GTA San Andreas is practically a rite of passage. The first time I drove out of Los Santos toward the countryside, I had no clue where I was headed. The fog rolled in, the road narrowed, and suddenly I was halfway up Mount Chiliad in the dark. That kind of organic discovery is exactly what makes this map special, even two decades after release.
San Andreas puts three full cities, five countryside counties, 250 collectibles, and over 70 named locations into a single 38.2 square kilometer world. This guide covers every area worth knowing: what it looks like in real life, what you will actually find there, and what missions or collectibles tie to each location.
GTA San Andreas Map Overview
The map is a single connected world split into three cities and five countryside counties. You start locked into Los Santos, unlock San Fierro after completing the early story missions, and reach Las Venturas once the San Fierro arc wraps up. The countryside fills everything in between.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Map Area | 38.2 km² (14.75 square miles) |
| Major Cities | 3 – Los Santos, San Fierro, Las Venturas |
| Counties | 5 – Red, Flint, Whetstone, Bone, Tierra Robada |
| Total Collectibles | 250 items across all regions |
| Named Locations | 70+ distinct areas |
| Game Setting | 1992, fictional state based on California and Nevada |
| Highest Point | Mount Chiliad, Whetstone 800 meters |
When San Andreas launched in 2004, 38 square kilometers made it the biggest GTA map ever built. GTA V later surpassed it at roughly 127 square kilometers, but San Andreas still holds up because of how different each area feels from the next. No two counties look or play the same.
You can travel between cities using planes stolen from any of the three airports. Los Santos International, Easter Bay Airport in San Fierro, and Las Venturas Airport all have aircraft sitting on the tarmac.
If you want to experience GTA San Andreas with upgraded graphics and modern controls, check out the GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition.
GTA San Andreas Map: The Three Main Cities
Each city in San Andreas captures a different slice of American culture from the early 1990s. Los Santos brings the gang wars and California sunshine. San Fierro delivers fog, steep hills, and a more European feel. Las Venturas trades in neon, casinos, and desert heat. Here is a full breakdown of every district in all three.
Los Santos – Based on Los Angeles, California
Los Santos is where CJ’s story begins and where most players spend the largest chunk of their time. The city copies LA in its early 1990s form, right down to the gang territories, freeway interchanges, and the Vinewood sign sitting up on the hill. The streets feel lived in, and every neighborhood has its own personality.
Central Los Santos
- Commerce: Modeled on LA’s Civic Center. The courthouse, city jail, and government buildings all sit here. Several story missions use this area as a backdrop.
- Downtown Los Santos: Packed with office towers and business buildings. The Capitol Tower is a direct reference to the real Capitol Records Building in Hollywood.
- Mulholland Intersection: A recreation of a stacked freeway interchange. You will use this junction constantly during chase missions. Getting the layout down early saves a lot of frustration.
- Pershing Square: A small downtown park based on the real Pershing Square in Los Angeles. Useful as a landmark to orient yourself.
- Verdant Bluffs: Inspired by Griffith Park. Sits on a hill overlooking the city with an observatory building that turns up in a few missions.
- Los Santos Convention Center: Sits in the heart of downtown near the Commerce district.
West Los Santos
West LS is where the money lives. Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Santa Monica all have counterparts here. The streets are cleaner, the cars are nicer, and gang activity drops noticeably compared to East LS.
- Mulholland: The Hollywood Hills equivalent. Winding roads lead up to expensive houses with views of the whole city. This is where celebrities would live in the GTA universe.
- Richman: Bel Air territory. Mansions, manicured lawns, and almost zero street crime. Good spot to steal high-end vehicles early in the game.
- Rodeo: Beverly Hills shopping in GTA form. High-end boutiques and luxury cars parked on every street.
- Santa Maria Beach: Santa Monica brought to life. Long stretch of beach with a boardwalk, a Ferris wheel on the pier, and boats you can grab for quick water escapes.
- Vinewood: The Hollywood district. Home to the famous Vinewood sign, entertainment industry buildings, and several story missions. The area carries that celebrity-obsessed Los Angeles energy throughout.
- Verona Beach: Coastal residential area sitting between Santa Maria Beach and the rest of West LS.
East Los Santos
East LS is working class territory. This is where most of the gang activity happens, where CJ’s grew up, and where the majority of early story missions take place. The streets feel rougher, the buildings are older, and you will spend a lot of time here before the game opens up.
- Ganton: Compton brought into the game. Grove Street Families turf. CJ’s house sits on the famous cul-de-sac. This is the spiritual home of the entire story.
- Idlewood: Based on Inglewood. Home to Old Reece’s barbershop and the Alhambra nightclub. You visit Alhambra during an early mission with Ryder.
- Glen Park: A small park with a lake. Gangs fight over this territory throughout the game. It appears in the turf war missions tied to Grove Street expansion.
- Jefferson: Working class area with a replica of the Watts Towers as a landmark. Heavy Ballas presence.
- Las Colinas: Hillside neighborhood in the northeast of the city. Houses built on slopes with views down into the eastern districts.
- El Corona: Los Santos Vagos territory, identifiable by yellow gang colors. Mix of shops and homes with a Spanish architectural influence.
- East Beach: Long Beach equivalent on the eastern coast of Los Santos. Close to the industrial dock area.
- Playa del Seville: Harbor zone with coastal industrial buildings and gang control.
- Willowfield: Warehouse district with train tracks running through it. Good area to find commercial trucks.
- Little Mexico: Colorful market-style streets with a distinct feel from the rest of East LS.
- Los Flores: Residential neighborhood with ongoing gang activity.
South Los Santos
- Los Santos International Airport: The LA International Airport equivalent. Biggest airport in the game. Security will come after you if you try to take a plane without a mission, but the reward is fast travel to San Fierro or Las Venturas.
- Ocean Docks: The Port of Los Angeles recreated in detail. Massive shipping yard with cranes, containers, and industrial vehicles. Multiple story missions use this location.
The 100 Spray Tags for Los Santos are scattered across all of these neighborhoods. Start spraying early since the weapons reward unlocks at CJ’s house on Grove Street once you hit all 100.
San Fierro – Based on San Francisco, California
San Fierro is the second city you unlock. It is smaller than Los Santos in area but packs in a completely different atmosphere. The hills make every drive interesting, the fog rolls in off the bay, and the Victorian architecture gives it a character that feels nothing like the sunny sprawl of LS. My first time driving over Gant Bridge into the city, I genuinely stopped and looked around for a minute.
You unlock San Fierro by completing the Los Santos story arc. Once you arrive, CJ’s sets up a car garage in Doherty, which becomes your base for the San Fierro mission chain.
San Fierro Districts
- Doherty: Industrial area based on San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. CJ’s garage is located here and it becomes a central hub for several missions. Multiple safehouses nearby.
- Downtown San Fierro: The financial and commercial core of the city. The Big Pointy Building copies the Transamerica Pyramid almost exactly. Tall buildings and busy streets with less gang crime than Los Santos.
- Chinatown: A dense urban neighborhood run by the Triads. Wu Zi Mu operates here. The area is packed with markets, noodle shops, and narrow streets. Authentic San Francisco Chinatown energy.
- Calton Heights: The wealthy hillside area. Victorian homes on steep streets with views of the bay. Based on Pacific Heights in San Francisco.
- Esplanade North: Waterfront tourist zone with piers and seafood. Feels like Fisherman’s Wharf. Boats accessible here for bay exploration.
- Garcia: Mixed residential hillside neighborhood with challenging roads. Some of the steepest streets in the city.
- Queens: Colorful Victorian houses on residential streets. Based on the famous Painted Ladies area of San Francisco.
- Hashbury: The bohemian neighborhood, inspired by San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. Notable for its character and snapshot photo opportunities.
- King’s: Residential district with a mix of housing types.
- Paradiso: Northern neighborhood with access to the bay and interesting elevation changes.
- Ocean Flats: Coastal area on the western side of the city. One of the flatter parts of San Fierro.
- Avispa Country Club: Private club area southwest of the city center. Features tennis courts and grounds used in snapshot photography missions.
San Fierro Bridges
- Gant Bridge: The Golden Gate Bridge equivalent. Connects San Fierro to Tierra Robada in the northwest. You can base jump from the support towers once you have a parachute. One of the best views in the entire game from the top.
- Garver Bridge: Based on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge with some visual references to Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge. Connects SF to Flint County on the east side.
Easter Bay Airport
San Fierro’s airport is smaller and less guarded than Los Santos International. It handles regional travel and is a reliable spot to grab planes for fast map traversal.
All 50 Snapshots for 100% completion are spread across San Fierro and its surrounding areas. You need a camera, which CJ’s keeps in his bedroom by default. Use an interactive map and go district by district.
Las Venturas – Based on Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Venturas is the last city you unlock and it hits differently from the first two. Everything is bright, artificial, and built around money. The neon from the casino strip lights up the desert sky at night, and the whole city has that Vegas energy of excess and spectacle. After the hills of San Fierro and the gang streets of Los Santos, arriving in Las Venturas feels like landing on another planet.
The progression through Las Venturas involves working with the Triads at the Four Dragons Casino, running missions against Caligula’s Palace, and dealing with various desert crime networks. It is a different tone from the earlier cities, leaning more into heist territory.
The Strip – Main Casino District
- The Four Dragons Casino: Inspired by the MGM Grand. This becomes player-owned as the story progresses and serves as CJ’s Las Venturas base. The Triads run operations here.
- Caligula’s Palace: The major rival casino and the target of the game’s big heist mission. Based on Caesars Palace.
- The Camel’s Toe: Excalibur Hotel equivalent with a desert and Middle Eastern theme. Large casino floor and entertainment venue.
- Pirates in Men’s Pants: A pirate-themed resort casino based on Treasure Island Las Vegas. Check the rooftop for collectible horseshoes.
- Visage: The Mirage Hotel recreation. Luxury casino with high-end gambling and upscale rooms.
- The Clown’s Pocket: Circus Circus equivalent with a carnival and circus theme throughout.
- Come-A-Lot: Medieval fantasy-themed casino on the Old Venturas Strip.
- The Starfish Casino: Classic Vegas styling based on The Sands casino. Sits on the Old Venturas Strip and appears in several missions.
Other Las Venturas Districts
- Old Venturas Strip: The Fremont Street equivalent. Older, less glamorous casinos with a classic downtown Vegas atmosphere. Less foot traffic than the main strip.
- Prickle Pine: Suburban residential neighborhood inspired by Summerlin. Luxury housing with desert landscaping away from the casino district.
- Redsands East: Arts and cultural district area with mixed commercial and residential buildings.
- Roca Escalante: Business and financial district away from the entertainment focus.
- Rockshore West: Suburban development based on Henderson. Residential neighborhoods on the desert edge of the city.
Las Venturas Airport
The largest of the three airports. Connects to Bone County desert and gives access to the full northern region of the map. Security presence is active but manageable.
The 50 Horseshoes for 100% completion are scattered around Las Venturas. Some are in awkward spots inside casinos or on rooftops. Grab the Jet pack from Area 69 after completing the Black Project mission before hunting horseshoes. It makes the whole process much faster.
GTA San Andreas Map: Countryside and Desert Regions
Between the three cities, five counties connect everything together. These areas are not just filler. They each have distinct geography, their own towns, and specific missions tied to them. Some of my favorite moments in the game happened out in the countryside: racing down the side of Mount Chiliad, sneaking into Area 69 in the dark, and stumbling on ghost towns in the middle of the desert.
Red County
Red County sits directly north of Los Santos and serves as the first countryside area you encounter. It is agricultural California: farming towns, grain silos, winding country roads, and rolling hills. Catalina lives out here, and her missions introduce you to the county early in the story.
Red County Towns
- Blueberry: The largest settlement in Red County. A farming community built around Blueberry Acres agricultural operations. Grain silos dominate the skyline. A safehouse is available here for purchase.
- Montgomery: Located near the central crossroads of Red County. Has the highest rural population in the county. Contains Crippen Memorial Hospital and a Well Stacked Pizza.
- Dillimore: The law enforcement hub of the county. Has a sheriff’s station, a gas station, and a Pay’n’Spray. Small working-class residential area.
- Palomino Creek: Sits in the northeast corner of Red County with a river running through it. The local bank has been robbed so many times that it essentially stopped putting up a fight. The Hanky Panky Point area sits nearby. A safehouse is available here.
Red County Landmarks
- The Panopticon: An abandoned hilltop settlement with a noticeably dark atmosphere. One of the more atmospheric locations in the countryside.
- Blueberry Acres: The large farming operation east of Blueberry. Crops, farm buildings, and open fields.
- Montgomery Intersection: The main crossroads connecting Red County to Los Santos and the northern regions.
Flint County
Flint County is deliberately underdeveloped. No towns, minimal buildings, just dense forest and rolling hills. It acts as a natural buffer zone between Los Santos and San Fierro. The region is intentionally left rural, which makes it feel genuinely remote. If you want off-road motorcycle riding without distractions, Flint County is the place.
Flint County Features
- Flint Range: The hilly terrain section in the north of the county.
- Leafy Hollow: Stream access area with quiet rural scenery.
- Back o Beyond: A remote wilderness section that feels genuinely isolated. Used in a notable early mission and known for urban legend theories among the community.
- Flint Intersection: Main road junction connecting through the county.
Garver Bridge connects Flint County to San Fierro on the western side. The county also borders Red County to the south and Whetstone to the west.
Whetstone County
Whetstone is defined entirely by Mount Chiliad. Everything else in the county exists in relationship to that mountain. The terrain is steep, the roads are rough, and the forests are thick. It is the best region in San Andreas for off-road driving and the most visually dramatic area outside the cities.
Mount Chiliad
At 800 meters, Mount Chiliad is the highest point on the entire San Andreas map. The summit has an observation deck with views across the whole state on a clear day. The mountain supports multiple activities.
- Mountain biking races starting from the summit.
- BMX and bicycle stunt routes down the slopes.
- Base jumping from the summit with a parachute.
- Winding road access from Angel Pine.
- The mountain features in story missions and side content.
Angel Pine
A small town nestled at the base of Mount Chiliad. It has a medical center, a few shops, a trailer park community, and a safehouse. The town feels isolated in a good way. Several story missions take place here during the countryside section of the game.
Bone County
Bone County is the Nevada desert transplanted into San Andreas. Vast open plains, rock formations, military bases, and ghost towns fill the region. The desolation is the point. Area 69 sits out here in the middle of nowhere, and finding it for the first time feels genuinely exciting and a little dangerous.
Area 69
The game’s version of Area 51, placed in the Bone County desert. Entering on foot triggers a 4-star wanted level immediately. Guards are armed and aggressive. Despite the danger, the area contains two of the 50 oysters, making a visit unavoidable for full completion.
- Underground bunker complex with multiple levels.
- SAM turrets active around the perimeter.
- The Black Project mission sends CJ’s here to steal the Jet pack.
- Completing the Black Project unlocks the Jet pack at the Verdant Meadows safehouse.
Verdant Meadows Airfield
An abandoned aircraft graveyard in the desert. The player can purchase this property during the story. It becomes a private airstrip with a personal hangar for storing fixed-wing aircraft. The flight school missions take place here.
Las Brujas
A ghost town in the western part of Bone County near the Verdant Meadows airfield. Empty buildings, dusty streets, no civilian population. Based on Bodie, California, a real abandoned mining town. The name translates from Spanish as “The Witches.” Worth visiting just for the atmosphere.
Other Bone County Locations
- El Castillo del Diablo – A dramatic castle-shaped rock formation in the desert. Natural landmark with valley overlook position.
- Octane Springs – A working oil field with derricks and extraction equipment. Industrial operations in the middle of the desert.
- Rock formations and mesas scattered across the county.
- Desert canyons cutting through the terrain.
50 of the game’s Horseshoe collectibles are spread across Bone County and Las Venturas combined.
Tierra Robada
Tierra Robada occupies the northwest corner of San Andreas, bridging the harsh Bone County desert with the coastal forests near San Fierro. Dramatic cliffs, water features, and sparse settlements make it one of the more visually interesting counties even if missions rarely bring you here.
Sherman Dam
Modeled on the Hoover Dam, the Sherman Dam is the largest man-made structure in the game. It creates the Sherman Reservoir upstream. The dam features unique stunt jumps, swimming challenges in the reservoir, and multiple oyster collectibles in the water below. Worth exploring thoroughly.
Bayside
A small coastal marina town at the northeastern tip of Tierra Robada. The boat school is located here, teaching water vehicle handling. The town has a marina, a safehouse, and scenic views of Gant Bridge in the distance.
Other Tierra Robada Locations
- Bayside Tunnel – An underwater passage connecting sections of the county beneath the Sherman Reservoir.
- Las Barrancas – A desert town with a reported history of strange events. The Hoover Dam-adjacent atmosphere gives it an interesting feel.
- Robada Intersection – The main highway junction linking Tierra Robada with Bone County and Las Venturas.
- High desert cliffs with scenic coastal overlooks.
All GTA San Andreas Collectibles: Locations and Rewards
There are 250 total collectibles spread across the map. Collecting all of them contributes to 100% completion. Here is the full breakdown by type, location, and reward.
| Collectible | Total | Where Found | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spray Tags | 100 | Los Santos only all districts | Weapons spawn at Johnson House |
| Snapshots | 50 | San Fierro only all districts | $100,000 + weapons at Doherty Garage |
| Horseshoes | 50 | Las Venturas + Bone County | $100,000 + weapons at Four Dragons Casino |
| Oysters | 50 | Underwater statewide (all regions) | Max lung capacity + $100,000 |
Collectible Strategy Tips
After spending time hunting all 250 items across multiple play throughs, these approaches save the most time.
- Spray Tags first. They are available from the very start of the game and reward you with weapons that help in early missions.
- Use an interactive map from MapGenie.io or GTA-SanAndreas.com. Paper maps and memory are not sufficient across 38 square kilometers.
- Complete the Black Project mission in Bone County before hunting horseshoes. The Jet pack it unlocks makes reaching elevated casino locations much faster.
- Build lung capacity before going after oysters. Repeated shallow diving increases your underwater time naturally. Start on shallow oysters near Santa Maria Beach.
- Work region by region for snapshots. San Fierro’s steep hills and fog make the district-by-district approach far more efficient than roaming.
- Horseshoes and the Bone County oysters near Area 69 are the hardest to reach. Plan those deliberately rather than stumbling on them.
GTA San Andreas Interactive Maps: Best Resources
Static paper maps worked fine in 2004 when the game was new. Today, interactive maps with check boxes and filtering are far better tools for completionist runs. Here are the most reliable resources available.
| Resource | Best For | Tracking |
|---|---|---|
| MapGenie.io | All collectible types, mobile-friendly interface | Yes! Checkbox system |
| GTA-SanAndreas.com | Detailed screenshots + interactive overlays | Yes! Per item |
| IGN Interactive Map | Weapons, vehicles, properties, missions | Partial |
| GTASnP.com | Import your save file to see completion gaps | Full save tracking |
GTASnP.com deserves a special mention. You can upload your actual save file and it maps every collectible you have and have not collected yet. Far more accurate than trying to track manually.
How to Unlock the Full San Andreas Map
The map unlocks in stages tied to story progression. Trying to enter locked areas early results in a 4-star wanted level and police chasing you out. The progression is as follows.
| City / Region | Unlocked By | Mission Name |
|---|---|---|
| Los Santos + Red County | Game start | Available immediately |
| Flint County + Whetstone | Progress through LS missions | Countryside access opens mid-game |
| San Fierro | Complete Los Santos arc | “Badlands” mission |
| Las Venturas + Bone County | Complete San Fierro arc | “Yay Ka-Boom-Boom” mission |
| Tierra Robada | Las Venturas unlocks | Opens with LV progression |
Some players try to swim or fly into locked areas early. It is possible but not recommended. The wanted level makes it chaotic and you cannot save in those areas. The game is structured to give you each city when the story is ready for it.
Getting Around San Andreas: Transportation and Airports
Airports
| Airport | City | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Los Santos International | Los Santos South | Largest facility, commercial traffic, most aircraft types available |
| Easter Bay Airport | San Fierro West | Medium-sized, easier to access, less security activity |
| Las Venturas Airport | Las Venturas North | Desert location, connects to Bone County, good aircraft selection |
| Verdant Meadows | Bone County | Player-owned after purchase, personal hangar, flight school location |
Rail Network
- The Brown Streak Railroad runs freight train routes connecting all three cities.
- Passenger stations exist in Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas.
- Train cars are explorable and the trains can be commandeered.
- The freight train mission is one of the more memorable early game sequences.
Highway System
- Interstate-style highways connect the three cities with good high-speed routes.
- County roads wind through Red County, Flint County, and Whetstone.
- Desert highways cross Bone County with long straight stretches ideal for fast vehicles.
- Mountain passes cut through Whetstone with challenging elevation changes.
- Coastal highways run along the ocean south of Los Santos and northwest toward San Fierro.
Hidden and Unique Locations Worth Finding
San Andreas is full of places that do not show up on missions but reward you for finding them. Here are the ones that genuinely surprised me on first discovery.
Easter Eggs and Developer Secrets
- The ghost car in Back o Beyond: A vehicle that appears to roll down a hill without a driver. It is not actually supernatural (it is a physics quirk with a parked car on a slope) but it became a major community legend in 2004.
- The Wheelchair in Palomino Creek: An empty wheelchair sitting on a rooftop with no explanation. Still referenced by the community twenty years later.
- Chiliad Myth murals: Paintings inside the Mount Chiliad observation shack that Rockstar later expanded into a full mystery in GTA V. Worth visiting if you know the GTA V mountain.
- The San Andreas Fault seabed: A visible fault line runs along the bottom of San Fierro Bay, directly referencing the real San Andreas Fault that the state is named after.
- The Epsilon Cult billboards: Early references to the cult that appears prominently in GTA V.
Unique Stunt Jump Locations
There are 70 unique stunt jumps spread across the map. Completing them all is not required for 100% but completing 25 of them is a mission requirement. The best stunt jump density is in Los Santos, particularly around the downtown freeway interchanges and Ocean Docks. Las Venturas has several jumps on casino rooftops.
What the San Andreas Map Gets Right and Where It Falls Short
What Works Well
- The variety across three cities and five counties keeps the world feeling fresh throughout a 40 to 60 hour play through. Driving from Los Santos to Las Venturas actually feels like a road trip.
- Each region has its own visual identity. You always know roughly where you are just from looking at the environment.
- Hidden collectibles and easter eggs reward thorough exploration beyond the main story. The world has depth beyond missions.
- The countryside sections provide genuine pacing relief between intense urban missions. The quieter moments in Whetstone or Flint County make the city chaos feel more impactful.
- The map was designed without GPS, which forced players to learn routes organically. That knowledge becomes genuinely satisfying to develop.
Where It Falls Short
- Without GPS in the early game, navigation in unfamiliar counties can be genuinely frustrating. The radar helps but countryside roads look similar without landmarks.
- Collecting 250 items across 38 square kilometers requires significant time investment. Without a proper interactive map and tracking system, missing one tag in Los Santos means rescanning the entire city.
- The story-gated map unlocking prevents free exploration. Getting a 4-star wanted level for wandering too far north in the early game is jarring.
- Travel time between cities is considerable. Stealing a plane is usually necessary rather than optional for players who want to move efficiently.
Final Thoughts on the San Andreas Map
GTA San Andreas Mod APK built something that holds up because the map was designed with intention. Three cities that feel genuinely different. Five counties that each have a distinct purpose and character. A collection of hidden locations, easter eggs, and secrets that rewarded players who went off the beaten path.
The gang streets of Ganton, the foggy hills of San Fierro, the neon excess of Las Venturas, the silent desert of Bone County, and the ghost towns scattered in between all feel like they belong to the same world while looking nothing alike. That variety across 38 square kilometers is the reason people still come back to this game twenty years after release.
Grab an interactive map, pick a region, and start exploring. You will find something worth seeing in every corner of the state. Grove Street. Home. At least it was before all this started.
