GTA 5 Map Guide: Los Santos, Blaine County and the Locations That Matter
One island, two worlds: the city of Los Santos and the wilds of Blaine County. A tour of the districts, landmarks, safehouses and services that make up GTA 5's map — and where its big collectible hunts hide.
One island, two worlds: the city of Los Santos and the wilds of Blaine County. A tour of the districts, landmarks, safehouses and services that make up GTA 5's map — and where its big collectible hunts hide.
GTA 5's map is one continuous island: the city of Los Santos sprawls across the south, while the deserts, farms and mountains of Blaine County fill the north, and the whole thing is open to explore from the moment you finish the prologue. There are no locked boroughs or bridge tolls waiting on story progress — if you can see it, you can drive, fly or swim to it, though a couple of heavily guarded spots will make you very unwelcome.
How is the map divided up?
Think of the island in two halves. Los Santos is a dense coastal city wrapped around a downtown core, with suburbs, industrial estates, an international airport and a working port along its southern edge. Head north through the Vinewood Hills and the city gives way to the Grand Senora Desert, the Alamo Sea — a vast, murky inland lake — and eventually the forests and peaks around Mount Chiliad, the island's highest point.
The coastline matters more than in earlier games, because the ocean floor is modelled too. Wrecks, cargo and the odd secret sit under the water around the island, which is why the game hands you a submarine and scuba gear through missions and side activities.
What are the key districts of Los Santos?
Downtown is the skyscraper district, home to the Maze Bank tower and the construction sites the story keeps returning to. North of it sits Vinewood, the game's Hollywood, complete with its hillside sign, Walk of Fame and Michael's wealthy neighbourhood of Rockford Hills just to the west. The western waterfront — Del Perro and Vespucci Beach — is all promenades, fairground pier and muscle gym sand.
The south and east are grittier: Strawberry and Chamberlain Hills are Franklin's home turf, the docks and warehouses of the Port of Los Santos fill the south-east, and Los Santos International Airport dominates the south-west corner. Each protagonist's world feels different precisely because each is anchored to a different part of this map.
What will you find out in Blaine County?
Blaine County is Trevor's kingdom: the cracked, sun-baked trailer town of Sandy Shores on the Alamo Sea, where he runs his 'business' within sight of a mountain of scrap and a shore of abandoned holiday homes. Around it lie the satellite dishes and wind farms of the Grand Senora Desert, the farming community of Grapeseed, and the eerie quiet of Harmony on Route 68.
Further north and west the county turns green and cold. Paleto Bay is a small coastal town in the shadow of Mount Chiliad, Raton Canyon cuts a canoeable gorge through the wilderness, and the Tongva Hills hide farms, a hillbilly compound and more than a few mysteries. It is also where you will find Fort Zancudo, the military base — magnificent to steal aircraft from, provided you enjoy immediate and overwhelming attention.
Where are the places you will actually use every session?
Some locations earn their place on your mental map fast. Safehouses — Michael's Rockford Hills mansion, Franklin's eventual Vinewood Hills home and Trevor's Sandy Shores trailer — are where you save, change clothes and swap characters. Ammu-Nation stores handle weapons, Los Santos Customs handles car repairs and modifications, and hospitals are where you wake up after being wasted, minus a fee.
Then there is the buyable map: cinemas, bars, a taxi firm, hangars at the airport, helipads and marina berths are among the properties the protagonists can purchase, several of which unlock their own small management missions. Knowing which businesses sit where turns the map from scenery into a routine.
Which landmarks are worth the trip just to see them?
The Vinewood sign and the Galileo Observatory above the city are the classic first pilgrimages, and the view back over Los Santos at night explains why. Mount Chiliad itself carries the game's most famous mural and a long tail of community mystery-hunting, while the Kortz Center, the Land Act Dam and the great radio telescope array in the desert all reward a detour.
Completionists should know that GTA 5's big scavenger hunts are the letter scraps and spaceship parts scattered across the whole island — fifty of each, hidden from rooftops to the ocean floor. One thing you will not find is the hidden packages of the older games; those belonged to GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas, and GTA 5 replaced them with these hunts instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the whole GTA 5 map unlocked from the start?
Yes. Unlike GTA III or San Andreas, GTA 5 opens its entire island — Los Santos and Blaine County — as soon as you are in free roam. A few places, such as Fort Zancudo military base and the prison, will still greet you with an instant wanted level.
What is the tallest mountain in GTA 5?
Mount Chiliad, in the far north of the map above Paleto Bay. It has a cable car, a famous mural in its station, and the best panoramic view on the island.
Does GTA 5 have hidden packages like the older games?
No — hidden packages were a GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas collectible. GTA 5's equivalent hunts are the 50 letter scraps and 50 spaceship parts scattered across the map and under the sea.
Where is Fort Zancudo and why do players go there?
Fort Zancudo is the military base on the west coast, south of Paleto Bay. Players raid it to steal fighter jets and other military hardware — and accept the instant, heavy military response that comes with trespassing.
