Aptos, CA: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Aptos, CA is an unincorporated community or census-designated place located in Santa Cruz County in the state of California. Our data estimates 6,387 residents, places it at 36.991°N, 121.893°W, and lists it in Pacific time. This page explains its population rank, ZIP codes, nearby cities and distance to big metros.

What are the key facts about Aptos, CA?

What is the population of Aptos, CA?

Aptos has an estimated population of 6,387. That makes it the 601st largest of the 1,470 places we list in California, and the 10th largest of 30 places in Santa Cruz County. The typical place in California has about 3,379 residents, so Aptos is roughly 1.9 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in California with a similar population include Castroville (6,521), La Habra Heights (6,492), El Rio (6,297), East Porterville (6,291), Salton City (6,250). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Aptos differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Aptos?

Aptos has about 969 people per square mile (374 per square kilometer), which we classify as small-town or exurban. Within California, it is denser than about 48% of the listed places. Homes at this level are spread out with larger lots, and most daily trips involve a car, though a small central area may still be walkable. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Aptos use?

Aptos uses 2 ZIP codes: 95003, 95001. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 9 are assigned to the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Aptos in?

Aptos is in the Pacific time zone, which is UTC−8 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Los_Angeles). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Bullhead City, AZ, about 430 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Pacific time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Aptos located in California?

Aptos lies in the western part of California, at 36.991° north latitude and 121.893° west longitude. The state capital, Sacramento, is about 111 miles to the north. The closest listed place in another state is Gardnerville Ranchos, NV, roughly 176 miles to the northeast, which shows how near Aptos is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Santa Cruz, CA, 8 miles to the west.

Which cities are near Aptos, CA?

The closest listed place to Aptos is Rio del Mar, CA, 2.2 miles to the south. Of the eight nearest places below, 8 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Aptos in?

Aptos is in Santa Cruz County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 06087. The county contains 30 places in our data, 13 of which have their own page here and 17 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Santa Cruz (176,428), Watsonville (77,352), Live Oak (16,837), Scotts Valley (11,757), Soquel (10,883). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Aptos from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Aptos is closest to Los Angeles, CA at about 279 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 2,562 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Aptos?

No. In our data, Aptos in Santa Cruz County, California is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Planning a move to Aptos?

If you are weighing Aptos, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.