Anchorage, AK elevation
Downtown Anchorage sits at 104 ft (32 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 6,673 ft, 28 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
104ft
32 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 61.21806, -149.90028 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 21 to 6,673 ft
- 6 to 2,034 m · 152 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 2,552 ft (778 m)
- Source: USGS 3DEP
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Check your exact spot in Anchorage
Elevation changes from street to street. Use your location, search an address or click the map to get the USGS value for one point. Green pins mark the points named on this page.
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Data sources:
Elevation range inside the city limits
Anchorage covers 1,707.1 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 152 sampled points run from 21 ft (6 m) to 6,673 ft (2,034 m), a spread of 6,652 ft. The average of those points is 2,552 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 152 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 5,341 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 104 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Anchorage (104 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 100 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
Sources: pressure from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA, NASA, USAF); boiling point from the Antoine equation for water (Lange's Handbook of Chemistry); canning thresholds from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Not medical or food-safety advice; follow the tested USDA recipe for your altitude.
Anchorage compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Lincoln, NE1,202 ft
- Madison, WI875 ft
- St. Paul, MN789 ft
- Pittsburgh, PA765 ft
- Wasilla, AK342 ft
- Palmer, AK250 ft
- Houston, AK250 ft
- Anchorage (downtown)104 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Anchorage | 104 ft (32 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 6,673 ft (2,034 m) · 28 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 21 ft (6 m) · 41 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Merrill Fld (PAMR) | 143 ft (44 m) · 1.9 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Anchorage at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 289,600 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 1,707.1 sq mi (4,421.3 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Anchorage | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Anchorage A-8 NW | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 61.21806, -149.90028 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Fairbanks, AK — 445 ft, 259 mi (417 km) away
- Juneau, AK — 34 ft, 573 mi (923 km) away
- Olympia, WA — 96 ft, 1,449 mi (2,332 km) away
- Portland, OR — 32 ft, 1,539 mi (2,477 km) away
- Hood River, OR — 422 ft, 1,562 mi (2,514 km) away
- All Alaska elevations
Tools pre-filled for 104 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Anchorage, AK?
Downtown Anchorage is 104 ft (32 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 152 sampled points run from 21 to 6,673 ft.
What is the highest point in Anchorage?
The highest of our 152 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 6,673 ft (2,034 m), about 28 mi from downtown (61.2368, -149.0446). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Anchorage?
The lowest sampled point is 21 ft (6 m), about 41 mi from downtown. That is 6,652 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Anchorage?
At 104 ft, water boils at about 211.8 °F (99.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.81 inHg (1,009 hPa), so each breath holds about 100% of the oxygen it would at sea level. Cooking times for pasta, eggs and beans run a little longer than at sea level.
What is the elevation of the airport near Anchorage?
Merrill Fld (PAMR), 1.9 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 143.1 ft (44 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Anchorage?
Downtown Anchorage is at 104 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 6,673 ft, where the 1,001 ft and higher columns apply.
Sources
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — downtown elevation and every sampled point
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files (places, states; 1:500,000) — city boundary used for sampling
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — land area and Census place match
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (cities and towns, July 1, 2024) — population
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Domestic Names — city-center coordinates, county and topo map name
- FAA Aeronautical Information Services, Airports (field elevation) — airport field elevation
- U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA/NASA/USAF); water boiling point by the Antoine equation (Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry) — boiling point, air pressure and oxygen
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning — canning altitude thresholds
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made