A thin profile surface mount LED lighting apparatus includes a housing, an LED board including multiple LEDs, and a lens. The lens has a back side facing the LED board and a front side that provides a downward facing surface when the LED lighting apparatus is installed in an opening of a ceiling. The lens is disposed with respect to the LED board such that the LEDs illuminate the back side of the lens. A first spacing of the LEDs causes resulting light from the downward facing surface of the lens to be substantially uniform during operation of the apparatus. In one example, a thin front edge of a sidewall of the housing, forming a perimeter around the lens, is flush with the lens and is appreciably thin (e.g., a thickness of less than three millimeters), and a depth of the sidewall housing is less than one inch.