Los Santos History: Every GTA Game Set in Los Santos
Los Santos is the most famous city in Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar’s satirical take on Los Angeles has been the setting for two of the best-selling games of all time and for more than a decade of GTA Online. With GTA 6 heading to Vice City, it is a good moment to look back at Los Santos history and every GTA game set in Los Santos.
What is Los Santos in GTA?
Los Santos is a fictional city in the state of San Andreas, inspired by Los Angeles and Southern California. Like Liberty City (New York) and Vice City (Miami), it exaggerates the real city’s culture: celebrity obsession, sprawling freeways, gang territories, beaches and a famous hillside sign that reads Vinewood instead of Hollywood.
If you have read our Liberty City history and Vice City history guides, Los Santos completes the trio of classic GTA cities.
Before Los Santos: San Andreas in the first GTA
The original Grand Theft Auto (1997) already had a city called San Andreas, but it was based on San Francisco, not Los Angeles. Los Santos as we know it only appeared when Rockstar turned San Andreas into an entire state.
GTA San Andreas (2004): the original Los Santos
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas introduced Los Santos in 2004 as the first and most important city of a much larger map. The game is set in the early 1990s and follows Carl “CJ” Johnson, who returns home to Grove Street after his mother’s death.
- Setting: the state of San Andreas, with three cities: Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco) and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).
- Themes: gang life, police corruption and the early 1990s West Coast hip-hop era.
- Iconic places: Grove Street, Ganton, the Vinewood sign, Santa Maria Beach and Mount Chiliad in the countryside.
San Andreas is still remembered for its huge scale for the time, its RPG-style character stats and its soundtrack. It was later re-released several times, including in the 2021 Definitive Edition trilogy.
GTA 5 (2013): Los Santos reimagined
Grand Theft Auto V returned to Los Santos in 2013, but this time the map focused on a single, highly detailed city and its surroundings in Blaine County, rather than three cities. The result was a modern Los Angeles parody packed with detail, from luxury mansions in Rockford Hills to the desert around Sandy Shores.
GTA 5 also introduced three playable protagonists, Michael, Franklin and Trevor, each tied to a different part of the map. Our guide to the GTA 5 characters explains who they are and how switching between them works.
Notable Los Santos landmarks in GTA 5
- Del Perro Pier and Vespucci Beach
- The Vinewood sign and Vinewood Hills
- Grove Street, a nod to San Andreas
- Maze Bank Tower in downtown Los Santos
- Los Santos International Airport
- Mount Chiliad in Blaine County
GTA Online: Los Santos as a living world
GTA Online launched in 2013 alongside GTA 5 and uses the same map. Over the years Rockstar has added businesses, heists, nightclubs, an arcade, a casino and many other updates, all set in and around Los Santos. That long life is a big reason the city feels so familiar to millions of players.
San Andreas vs GTA 5: how Los Santos changed
| Feature | GTA San Andreas (2004) | GTA 5 (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Early 1990s | Modern day |
| Map focus | Three cities across a state | One detailed city plus Blaine County |
| Protagonist | CJ | Michael, Franklin and Trevor |
| Online mode | None | GTA Online |
Will GTA 6 return to Los Santos?
No. GTA 6 is set in the state of Leonida, Rockstar’s version of Florida, with Vice City as its main city. Rockstar has not announced any Los Santos content for the game. See our GTA 6 map guide for every official region revealed so far. GTA 6 is scheduled to release on November 19, 2026.
Fun fact: GTA also means the Greater Toronto Area. If you are looking for that other GTA, our sister site covers Greater Toronto Area news and guides.
FAQ: Los Santos
What real city is Los Santos based on?
Los Santos is based on Los Angeles, with districts and landmarks that parody places like Hollywood, Santa Monica and Venice Beach.
Which GTA games are set in Los Santos?
GTA San Andreas (2004), GTA 5 (2013) and GTA Online. The first GTA had a city called San Andreas, but it was based on San Francisco.
Is Grove Street in GTA 5?
Yes. Grove Street appears in GTA 5, and Franklin’s early missions take place in the same area of south Los Santos.
Is GTA 6 set in Los Santos?
No. GTA 6 takes place in Leonida and Vice City, inspired by Florida.