California's Urban Tree Canopy

This interactive mapping tool shows California's urban tree canopy and how it has changed over time. A tree’s canopy cover—its leaves, branches, and stems that provide coverage of the ground when viewed from above—is a driving force behind numerous environmental, social, and economic services. The mapping tool overlays the tree canopy layer with other information, including census data, urban heat severity, and the extent of the wildland urban interface and intermix. Learn more about these layers at the complete viewer layer list. These layers provide context to help us understand differences in tree canopy across communities.

Communities plant trees for numerous reasons, including reducing summer peak temperatures, improving air quality, reducing stormwater run-off, enhancing property values, providing wildlife habitat, growing local food, and enriching neighborhood beautification.