GTA 5 Map Guide: All Locations, Size, Landmarks, and More

GTA 5 takes players back to the sweeping valleys and towering mountains of San Andreas, while focusing on a modern reimagining of Los Santos. The city serves as a melting pot of different cultures, ranging from affluent celebrities to humble gangsters, and everything in between. Rows of mansions sit atop stilted hills, while suburbia sprawls below – a social statement fit for a Rockstar game. This is among the many other elements that make this open world so immersive. And while most of you already call this place home, we understand if you’re new. So keep on reading as we tell you everything about Los Santos in our GTA 5 map guide here.

GTA 5 Map Overview

The GTA 5 map comprises the fictional city of Los Santos, the neighboring desert towns of Blaine County, and the surrounding area of Mount Chiliad. It features a variety of biomes, including dense cityscapes, marshy wetlands, arid deserts, and picturesque hills.

In terms of location variety, a drive through its map will see you cover grimey ghettos, high-rise buildings, and scenic beaches, to name a few locales. As for the total number of named locations, the map features at least 60 notable areas.

The sheer diversity baked into this sandbox was unprecedented at the time of the game’s release, and it’s still quite something to behold today. It’s a significant reason why GTA 5 is so replayable.

GTA 5 Map Size and Scale in Real Life

The GTA 5 map’s real-life size is approximately 49 square miles (127 km²). This includes the game’s landmass and water area. These figures make it one of the biggest maps in any video game ever, including another Rockstar sandbox in Red Dead Redemption 2.

When compared to real-life Los Angeles (1,305 km²), which the city of Los Santos is modeled after, the GTA 5 map is roughly one-tenth the size of the American city. With that being said, the map manages to condense LA’s aesthetic and landmarks into a comparatively bite-sized package.

For further context, the GTA 5 map, at 49 square miles, is larger than the real-life cities of San Francisco (121.4 km²), Paris (105.2 km²), and the central areas of Tokyo (126 km²). So, while it fails to eclipse LA, GTA 5’s sandbox is still bigger than some full-sized cities.

GTA 5 Map Main Regions and Sub-Areas

While the map is packed with notable landmarks and interesting locales, it can be broadly divided into these regions:

• Los Santos
• Blaine County
• Raton Canyon (sub-area)
• Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness (sub-area)
• Los Santos County (sub-area)
• Vinewood Hills (sub-area)

GTA 5 Key Locations to Explore

There are so many sights to see across Los Santos and Blaine County, many of which you’re likely to zip by without noticing. This is why we recommend tapping the brakes and taking in your surroundings from time to time. But if you want a rundown on some interesting GTA 5 locations, here are some places to check out:

1. Safehouses

First and foremost, be sure to check out the safehouses assigned to each of the three protagonists. In Franklin’s case, the character graduates from his aunt’s house in Ganton to a lavish mansion in Vinewood Hills. Michael has a permanent residence in the shape of a spacious villa, located in South Boulevard Del Perro.

As for Trevor, the character lives up to his ‘trailer trash’ billing and lives in a ramshackle trailer at the start of his arc. It’s dingy, run-down, and downright disgusting, but hey, it’s home. The character does take over a stranger’s apartment and seizes a strip club as the story progresses, so make sure to check out these interiors as well.

2. Hidden Spots

While the GTA 5 map is packed with notable named locations, it also features some hidden secrets that took the community a lot of digging to discover. These include UFO sightings right over Mount Chiliad, a mysterious ghost near Mount Gordo, and a submarine wreck deep underwater near Cayo Perico.

Besides this, you can also find a hidden cache around the Alamo Sea and the creepy Epsilon Cult near the Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness area. Another hidden location worth checking out is the Maze Bank Arena. The stadium plays host to a memorable ‘Fame or Shame’ mission from the main story, but becomes inaccessible from that point on.

If you want to explore it freely, you’ll need to start a fresh playthrough and progress the game until you get to the mission. Now, instead of hopping out of your Michael to enter the venue, just ram your vehicle straight through the stadium’s door. This will cause the mission to fail, but you’ll be free to explore the arena’s interiors.

3. Mingames

There’s no shortage of activities to partake in beyond the traditional missions. For starters, you could try your hand at parachuting near Mount Chiliad or ride the Ferris Wheel at Del Pierro Pier. But if you’re sporty kind, how about a round of golf at the Los Santos Golf Club in Richman or a set of Tennis at Michael’s safehouse.

Other minigame activities you can explore include Darts at the Sandy Shores Bar, Flight Schools at the LSIA, or Triathlons near Vespucci Beach.

4. Hot Zones

By ‘hot zones,’ we’re referring to locations that are heavily guarded by authorities and hide items, such as weapons or special vehicles like fighter jets, that most players will be interested in borrowing. Examples included the militarized Fort Zancudo, the fortified Boilingbroke Penitentiary, and the secure Los Santos Police Department building.

How to Quickly Make Your Way Around the GTA 5 Map

With so much ground to cover, getting around Los Santos can be dizzying. To help you out, here are the best ways to quickly traverse the map:

• Call a Taxi using your phone
• Use lightning-quick vehicles such as Pegassi Zentorno or the Bati 801
• Travel in aircraft such as planes and helicopters
• Switch characters to transition to a different region of the map instantly

Is the GTA Online Map Different from the Singleplayer Map?

In short, yes, the GTA Online map is different from the singleplayer map, but not in terms of geography. Both game modes use the same map layout, but Online offers more interiors, properties, and dynamic world events. On top of this, the Cayo Perico island, an exotic location that sits far away from Los Santos, is available exclusively in GTA Online.

The online mode also features more stuff to spend your hard-earned cash on. The map is dotted with GTA bunkers, which can be purchased to establish an arms manufacturing ring. Similarly, you can set up nightclubs at select locations that are decked out with glitzy interiors. Even the unique GTA heists display the expansive nature of the online map, as the places you’ll be robbing are incredibly detailed.

GTA Online Exclusive Locations

Here’s a list of locations that you can only find GTA 5’s online counterpart:

• The Diamond Casino & Resort
• The Agency
• Bunkers
• Auto Shops
• A selection of High-end Apartments
• Underground Facilities (Doomsday Heist)
• Nightclubs
• Cayo Perico Island
• Kosatka Submarine

Can You Customize Safehouses or Garages in GTA 5?

Sadly, no, you cannot customize the safehouses or garages in GTA 5. While Franklin and Trevor will cycle through different safehouse, their interiors or layouts cannot be changed in any way.

That wraps up our guide on everything you need to know about the GTA 5 Map. If you’re familiar with every inch of Los Santos, let us know about your favorite landmark in the comments.