Boiling Point at Elevation Calculator
Enter an elevation to see the temperature water boils at there. At sea level it is 212 °F (100 °C); higher up it is lower.
Water boils at
—°F
— °C
Air pressure: — (standard atmosphere)
The barometric pressure in your local weather report.
Estimate for plain water in an open pot. Sources below.
By Ankit Kumar · Updated
What your result means
- Water boils at (°F and °C)
- The temperature at which plain water in an open pot boils at that elevation. It is the hottest the water gets: turning up the burner makes it boil harder, not hotter.
- Difference from sea level
- How much cooler your boiling water is than the 212 °F most recipes assume. The bigger the number, the more extra time boiled and simmered foods need.
- Air pressure
- The air pressure that sets the boiling point, in inches of mercury (inHg) and hectopascals (hPa). Without a barometer reading it is the standard-atmosphere value for the elevation; with one it is today's estimated pressure at your elevation.
- Today's weather (optional)
- Weather reports give pressure reduced to sea level, usually between 29 and 31 inHg. Entering it shifts the result by up to about a degree, for a reading closer to your actual pot.
Boiling point of water by elevation
Computed with the same formulas as the calculator, for a standard day.
| Elevation | Boils at (°F) | Boils at (°C) | Air pressure (inHg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -282 ft (-86 m) — Badwater Basin, the lowest US point | 212.5 | 100.3 | 30.23 |
| 0 ft (0 m) | 212.0 | 100.0 | 29.92 |
| 1,000 ft (305 m) | 210.2 | 99.0 | 28.86 |
| 2,000 ft (610 m) | 208.4 | 98.0 | 27.82 |
| 3,000 ft (914 m) | 206.5 | 97.0 | 26.82 |
| 4,000 ft (1,219 m) | 204.7 | 96.0 | 25.84 |
| 5,000 ft (1,524 m) | 202.9 | 94.9 | 24.90 |
| 5,280 ft (1,609 m) — one mile | 202.4 | 94.7 | 24.64 |
| 6,000 ft (1,829 m) | 201.1 | 93.9 | 23.98 |
| 7,000 ft (2,134 m) | 199.3 | 92.9 | 23.09 |
| 8,000 ft (2,438 m) | 197.4 | 91.9 | 22.22 |
| 9,000 ft (2,743 m) | 195.6 | 90.9 | 21.39 |
| 10,000 ft (3,048 m) | 193.8 | 89.9 | 20.58 |
| 12,000 ft (3,658 m) | 190.1 | 87.8 | 19.03 |
| 14,000 ft (4,267 m) | 186.4 | 85.8 | 17.58 |
Boiling point in high cities and on summits
Elevations from this site's place pages (each lists its source), run through the calculator.
| Place | Elevation | Boils at (°F) | Boils at (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | 5,276 ft | 202.4 | 94.7 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 6,009 ft | 201.1 | 93.9 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 6,091 ft | 200.9 | 93.8 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 6,997 ft | 199.3 | 92.9 |
| Park City, UT | 7,014 ft | 199.2 | 92.9 |
| Mammoth Lakes, CA | 7,873 ft | 197.7 | 92.0 |
| La Paz, Bolivia | 11,977 ft | 190.1 | 87.9 |
| Pikes Peak, CO | 14,115 ft | 186.2 | 85.7 |
| Mount Whitney, CA | 14,505 ft | 185.5 | 85.3 |
| Denali, AK | 20,310 ft | 174.8 | 79.3 |
How the weather changes it: Denver example
Barometer readings in weather reports are adjusted to sea level (NOAA). Applied to Denver's 5,276 ft, a normal range of readings moves the boiling point by less than two degrees:
| Barometer (inHg) | Water boils at (°F) |
|---|---|
| 29.00 | 200.9 |
| 29.50 | 201.7 |
| 29.92 (standard) | 202.4 |
| 30.40 | 203.2 |
| 30.80 | 203.8 |
Worked examples
Pasta in Denver
Denver sits at 5,276 ft, so water boils at 202.4 °F, about 9.6 °F cooler than the recipe assumes. The pasta needs longer than the package time; taste it rather than trusting the clock.
Camp stove on a 14er
On the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 ft water boils at 186.2 °F (85.7 °C), 25.8 °F below the sea-level figure. Freeze-dried meals that say "add boiling water" rehydrate more slowly there, so give them extra time.
Death Valley, below sea level
At Badwater Basin, 282 ft below sea level, the extra air above the pot raises the boiling point to 212.5 °F, slightly above the sea-level 212 °F.
Checking the USDA figure
USDA states that water boils at 208 °F at 2,000 ft (FSIS). The calculator gives 208.4 °F there, which rounds to the same figure.
What it means for cooking
USDA says most cookbooks treat 3,000 ft and above as high altitude, and that foods cooked in boiling or simmering water need more time there because the water is cooler. Pressure cookers and slow cookers behave differently, so follow the appliance maker's high-altitude instructions. USDA recommends a food thermometer to check that meat and poultry are done, instead of relying on cooking time.
For baking, use the high-altitude baking calculator; for home canning, the boiling point is one reason processing times change with elevation (seealtitude for canning).
Food safety: this calculator gives the boiling temperature only. It is not a recipe, cooking time or canning process. Follow USDA guidance on high-altitude cooking and theUSDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
How it is calculated
- Air pressure at the elevation from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976: P = 101.325 kPa × (1 − 2.25577 × 10⁻⁵ × h)5.25588, with h in meters.
- If you enter a barometer reading B (inHg), the pressure is scaled to the day: P = B × 3.386389 kPa/inHg × (1 − 2.25577 × 10⁻⁵ × h)5.25588.
- Boiling point from the Antoine equation for water: T = 1730.63 / (8.07131 − log₁₀ P) − 233.426, with P in mmHg and T in °C.
- °F = °C × 9/5 + 32.
Accuracy and limitations
- Weather: without a barometer reading the result assumes a standard day. Real pressure varies; at Denver a typical range of readings changes the boiling point by about 1.5 °F.
- Formula range: these Antoine constants are fitted for water between 1 °C and 100 °C, which covers boiling from below sea level to well above Everest's summit.
- Thermometers: kitchen thermometers can read slightly off. To check yours, compare it in boiling water with this calculator's value for your elevation, not with 212 °F.
- Not plain water: salt, sugar and other dissolved ingredients raise the boiling point; candy and jelly recipes rely on that.
- Closed pots: a lid barely changes the boiling point, but a pressure cooker raises it a lot. This calculator is for open pots.
Glossary
- Vapor pressure:
- the pressure of water vapor above liquid water. Water boils when it equals the surrounding air pressure.
- Standard atmosphere:
- an agreed average of air pressure and temperature by height, used when the day's weather is unknown.
- inHg:
- inches of mercury, the US unit for barometric pressure; 29.92 inHg is standard sea-level pressure.
- Antoine equation:
- a fitted formula linking a liquid's vapor pressure to its temperature.
Related tools
Don't know your elevation? Find it from your location and the related calculators below open with it filled in. The boiling point comes from air pressure at your elevation; the same elevation drives canning adjustments andbaking changes.
Frequently asked questions
How does the boiling point of water change with altitude?
It drops as you go up, because there is less air pressure on the water. Near sea level the drop is about 1.8 °F for every 1,000 ft: water boils at 212 °F at sea level, 202.9 °F at 5,000 ft and 193.8 °F at 10,000 ft by the formula on this page.
What temperature does water boil at 10,000 feet?
About 193.8 °F (89.9 °C), using standard-atmosphere air pressure for that elevation.
What temperature does water boil at 4,500 feet?
About 203.8 °F (95.5 °C).
What temperature does water boil at 7,500 feet?
About 198.3 °F (92.4 °C).
At what elevation does water boil at 200 °F?
At about 6,600 ft, using standard-atmosphere air pressure.
What temperature does water boil at on Mount Everest?
About 158 °F (70 °C) at the summit, 8,848.86 m (29,032 ft), by this formula. You can boil an egg there, but water that cool cooks it very slowly.
Is 5,000 feet considered high altitude for cooking?
Yes. USDA notes that most cookbooks treat 3,000 ft and above as high altitude, where cooking times and some recipes need adjusting.
Does a lower boiling point mean food cooks faster?
No, slower. Food in boiling water is cooked by water that is not as hot as at sea level, so pasta, rice, beans and boiled eggs take longer. USDA advises longer cooking times at high altitude.
Do eggs cook differently at high altitude?
Boiled eggs take longer, because the water around them is cooler: 202.4 °F in Denver instead of 212 °F. Frying or baking is not affected by the boiling point in the same way.
Does salt make water boil faster?
No. Dissolved salt slightly raises the temperature water boils at, so salted water takes a little longer to boil. The amount used in cooking changes it far less than going up or down a few hundred feet.
Does weather change the boiling point?
Yes, a little. In Denver a change from 29.5 to 30.4 inHg on the barometer moves the boiling point by about 1.5 °F. Enter today's barometer reading in the calculator to include it.
Why does water boil at a lower temperature at high altitude?
Water boils when its vapor pressure equals the air pressure around it. Higher up there is less air pressing down, so water reaches that point at a lower temperature.
How does a pressure cooker help at high altitude?
It traps steam so the pressure inside rises above the outside air pressure, which raises the boiling point well above what an open pot reaches. For canning, follow the tested pressure settings for your elevation from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
Sources
- U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NASA) — air pressure at each elevation
- Antoine equation for water (Lange's Handbook constants) — boiling point from pressure; NIST lists vapor-pressure data for water
- USDA FSIS: High Altitude Cooking — high altitude from 3,000 ft, 208 °F at 2,000 ft, longer cooking times
- NOAA JetStream: Air pressure — how barometer readings are reduced to sea level
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (NCHFP) — pressure canning at altitude
- The Himalayan Times: Everest height revealed — Everest height, 8,848.86 m (Nepal–China survey, 2020)
- Elevation pages on this site — place elevations in the places table; each page lists its source
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.