Death Valley is located in what US state?

California is the answer. Death Valley is located in eastern California near the Nevada border, with much of the area protected inside Death Valley National Park, a Mojave Desert landscape known for Badwater Basin, extreme heat, low elevation, and some of the most dramatic desert geography in the United States.

Death Valley in California

Death Valley is in California, not Nevada, though it sits close to the Nevada border. Its eastern California location can cause confusion because the national park stretches through a desert region near the state line. California is the correct U.S. state for Death Valley’s best-known landmarks and national park setting.

A Mojave Desert National Park

Much of Death Valley is protected within Death Valley National Park. The area is part of the Mojave Desert region, with dry basins, mountain ranges, salt flats, sand dunes, and rugged desert terrain. Its national park status helps preserve one of the most distinctive desert landscapes in North America.

Badwater Basin and Extreme Heat

Badwater Basin in Death Valley is known as the lowest point in North America. The valley is also famous for extreme heat, which comes from its low elevation, dry climate, and surrounding mountains that trap hot air. Those features make Death Valley one of California’s most recognizable geography answers and one of the best-known desert locations in the United States.