Death Valley is located in what US state?

California is the U.S. state where Death Valley is located, though the wider national park also extends slightly into Nevada. Death Valley itself is most strongly associated with eastern California, in the Mojave Desert near the Nevada border. It is one of the most famous desert landscapes in the United States, known for extreme heat, dry basins, salt flats, rugged mountains, and dramatic views that look almost otherworldly.

Death Valley is part of Death Valley National Park, the largest national park in the contiguous United States. The park covers a huge area of desert valleys, mountains, dunes, canyons, and old mining sites. Its best-known section lies in Inyo County, California, east of the Sierra Nevada and west of Las Vegas. The name “Death Valley” sounds severe, and it fits the place’s reputation, but the landscape is also full of unusual beauty, color, and geological variety.

The valley became famous partly because of its harsh conditions. Death Valley holds the record for the hottest air temperature reliably recorded on Earth: 134°F, recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. Summer temperatures can still climb dangerously high, often reaching well over 110°F. The heat is not just uncomfortable. It can be life-threatening for unprepared visitors. The combination of low elevation, dry air, clear skies, and surrounding mountains helps trap heat in the valley.

One of Death Valley’s most important landmarks is Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. It sits 282 feet below sea level, making it a striking contrast to the surrounding mountain ranges. The white surface at Badwater is not snow, but salt. Water occasionally collects in the basin, then evaporates quickly in the dry desert climate, leaving minerals behind. Over time, this process created wide salt flats that are among the most photographed features in the park.

Death Valley’s landscape was shaped by geology over millions of years. The valley is a basin between mountain ranges, formed by movement along faults in the Earth’s crust. The surrounding mountains continue to rise while the valley floor sinks, creating dramatic elevation changes. Visitors can stand below sea level in the morning and later drive into cooler mountain areas with sweeping views over the desert.

The park is also known for places such as Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Artist’s Palette, and Golden Canyon. Zabriskie Point offers a view of rippled badlands in shades of tan, gold, and brown. Artist’s Palette shows hills colored by minerals in soft greens, pinks, purples, and yellows. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes gives visitors the classic image of rolling desert dunes, especially beautiful at sunrise or sunset when shadows stretch across the sand.

Despite its name and climate, Death Valley is not lifeless. Plants and animals have adapted to survive in extreme conditions. Creosote bush, desert holly, mesquite, and cactus can be found in different parts of the park. Wildlife includes coyotes, kit foxes, lizards, snakes, roadrunners, ravens, and bighorn sheep. After rare periods of heavy rain, the desert can produce wildflower blooms that briefly transform parts of the valley.

Death Valley also has a long human history. Native peoples, especially the Timbisha Shoshone, have lived in and around the region for generations. Later, prospectors and miners came in search of borax, gold, silver, and other minerals. The famous twenty-mule teams that hauled borax out of the valley became part of the area’s Old West image and helped make Death Valley known nationally.

The correct answer is California. Death Valley’s extreme heat, below-sea-level basin, salt flats, desert mountains, and national park status make it one of California’s most remarkable natural landmarks and one of the most recognizable desert regions in America.