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My Current Elevation

Elevation by Address

Type a US street address to see how high it is above sea level. Then click the map to fine-tune the exact spot.

    Decimal (39.7392, -104.9903) or DMS (39°44'21"N 104°59'25"W).

    Or click the map

    Loading map…

    Map: USGS The National Map topographic basemap (US coverage).

    Elevation at this address

    —ft

    Choose a location to see its elevation.

    By Ankit Kumar · Updated

    What your result means

    Feet (large) and meters
    The ground elevation at the matched point, above NAVD 88. A minus sign means the ground is below that reference, as at Badwater Basin in Death Valley.
    Place and coordinates
    The address as the Census Geocoder matched it, and the exact latitude and longitude measured. If the place looks wrong, the address matched a different street.
    Accuracy line
    The published vertical accuracy of the elevation data at that spot. "How accurate is this?" explains the figure and its source.
    Data sources
    Which elevation dataset answered (USGS 3DEP for US points) with its credit line.
    Life at this elevation
    What the elevation means at home: the temperature water boils at, air pressure and oxygen per breath compared with sea level. Each links to its calculator.

    Address point vs. the building: real examples

    The Census Geocoder puts an address on its street, not on the building. We searched three addresses, then clicked the middle of each building (USGS 3DEP values, looked up October 28, 2026):

    AddressAt the address pointAt the buildingDifference
    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC
    The White House · building point 38.89768, -77.03653    		51.6 ft (15.7 m)59.8 ft (18.2 m)8.2 ft
    200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO
    Colorado State Capitol · building point 39.73924, -104.98486    		5,274.6 ft (1,607.7 m)5,276.3 ft (1,608.2 m)1.7 ft
    1001 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL
    Ocean Drive, South Beach · building point 25.77990, -80.13010    		5.1 ft (1.6 m)8.0 ft (2.4 m)2.9 ft

    On the Denver and Miami Beach blocks the two agree within 3 ft; at the White House the building is about 8 ft higher than the street point. On a hillside lot the gap can be larger, which is why the map click matters.

    Elevations you may see in property documents

    These are different measurements; only the first comes from this tool.

    HeightWhat it isWhere it comes from
    Ground elevation (this tool)Height of the ground at a point above the vertical datum (NAVD 88 in the contiguous US).USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
    Base Flood Elevation (BFE)The height floodwater is expected to reach in a flood with a 1% chance of happening in any year.FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps
    Lowest floor / building elevationsMeasured heights of a building's floors and openings, compared with the BFE for flood insurance and permits.FEMA Elevation Certificate, completed by a licensed surveyor or engineer
    Survey benchmarkA marked point with a precisely surveyed height, used as a starting point for local surveys.NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheets

    How it works

    1. The U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder matches your address to a street segment and places it along that segment by house number.
    2. We look up the ground elevation at that point from the USGS 3D Elevation Program through the Elevation Point Query Service.
    3. The result shows feet first, meters below, and the published accuracy of the elevation data at that spot.
    4. Click anywhere on the map to measure that exact point instead. Each result has its own link with the coordinates, so you can share it.

    Accuracy and limitations

    • Address placement: the matched point sits along the street, estimated from the house number, so it can be tens of feet from the building. Click the building for its own elevation.
    • Data accuracy: USGS reports an overall vertical accuracy (RMSE) of about 0.53 m (1.7 ft) for 3DEP; individual spots can be better or worse, especially on steep slopes.
    • Ground, not floors: the value is bare earth. It does not include buildings, fill added after the data was collected, or basements.
    • Not for flood insurance or legal use: this is map data, not a survey. For flood zones see FEMA's Flood Map Service Center; for an Elevation Certificate, a licensed surveyor.
    • US addresses only: the address search is the Census Geocoder, which covers US addresses. The map works worldwide.

    Glossary

    NAVD 88:
    the North American Vertical Datum of 1988, the reference surface US elevations are measured from (NOAA).
    Bare earth:
    elevation of the ground with buildings and vegetation removed from the data.
    Geocoding:
    turning an address into latitude and longitude.
    RMSE:
    root mean square error, a standard measure of how far values typically are from the truth.

    Related tools

    To compare your address with another place, use compare two places; to pin several spots on a lot, use the elevation map. With coordinates instead of an address, elevation from latitude and longitude takes up to 100 points. The same address also has a ZIP code area and acounty.

    Frequently asked questions

    How high above sea level is my house?

    Search your street address, then click your roof or yard on the map. The first number is the ground at the point the Census Geocoder places on your street; the click gives the ground at the house itself, which can differ by several feet on a slope.

    What elevation is my property?

    Click a few spots on your lot after searching the address: the front, the back and the building. The differences show how the lot slopes. For an official figure, a licensed surveyor can measure it.

    How accurate is the elevation for my address?

    The elevation data itself is close: USGS reports an overall vertical accuracy (RMSE) of about 0.53 m (1.7 ft) for its 3D Elevation Program. The bigger error is usually where the address point lands, which is along the street rather than on the building.

    Why does my address not match?

    The Census Geocoder matches US street addresses in its address ranges. Include the street number, street, city and state (or ZIP). PO boxes, very new streets and some rural or park addresses have no range and will not match; use the map or coordinates instead.

    Is this the same as a flood Elevation Certificate?

    No. A FEMA Elevation Certificate is an official record of a building's elevation used for floodplain permits and flood insurance, and it needs measurements of the building itself. This tool gives the ground elevation at a point from map data.

    Can I use this to check flood risk?

    It tells you the ground height, which is one part of flood risk. Whether a property is in a flood zone, and how high floodwater is expected to reach there, comes from FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

    Does the elevation include the height of my house?

    No. USGS bare-earth elevation removes buildings and trees, so the value is the ground. If you are on an upper floor, add your height above the ground yourself.

    Why is the elevation different from Google Earth or Zillow?

    Different sites use different elevation data, resolutions and points. This tool uses USGS 3DEP, the national elevation dataset, and shows exactly which point it measured, so you can click the same spot to compare.

    What does "above sea level" mean here?

    Height above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), the surveyed reference for official heights in the contiguous United States. It stands in for mean sea level.

    Can I look up addresses outside the US?

    Address search covers US addresses only. For other places, enter the coordinates or click the map; elevation outside the US comes from Terrain Tiles.

    Can I look up many addresses at once?

    Not by address. If you have coordinates, the elevation from latitude and longitude tool takes up to 100 points at once and gives a CSV.

    Sources

    How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.