Fairbanks, AK elevation
Downtown Fairbanks sits at 445 ft (136 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 994 ft, 2.7 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
445ft
136 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 64.83778, -147.71639 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 428 to 994 ft
- 130 to 303 m · 160 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 484 ft (148 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 Fairbanks
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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Elevation range inside the city limits
Fairbanks covers 31.8 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 160 sampled points run from 428 ft (130 m) to 994 ft (303 m), a spread of 566 ft. The average of those points is 484 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 160 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 729 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 445 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Fairbanks (445 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 98 % 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.
Fairbanks compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Helena, MT4,048 ft
- Kalispell, MT2,955 ft
- Delta Junction, AK1,169 ft
- Anderson, AK515 ft
- Frankfort, KY504 ft
- North Pole, AK495 ft
- Fairbanks (downtown)445 ft
- Nenana, AK360 ft
- Juneau, AK34 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Fairbanks | 445 ft (136 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 994 ft (303 m) · 2.7 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 428 ft (130 m) · 1.7 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Fairbanks Intl (PAFA) | 439 ft (134 m) · 4.4 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Fairbanks at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,732 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 31.8 sq mi (82.4 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Fairbanks North Star | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Fairbanks D-2 SE | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 64.83778, -147.71639 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Anchorage, AK — 104 ft, 259 mi (417 km) away
- Juneau, AK — 34 ft, 626 mi (1,008 km) away
- Olympia, WA — 96 ft, 1,539 mi (2,477 km) away
- Portland, OR — 32 ft, 1,637 mi (2,634 km) away
- Hood River, OR — 422 ft, 1,651 mi (2,657 km) away
- All Alaska elevations
Tools pre-filled for 445 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Fairbanks, AK?
Downtown Fairbanks is 445 ft (136 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 160 sampled points run from 428 to 994 ft.
What is the highest point in Fairbanks?
The highest of our 160 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 994 ft (303 m), about 2.7 mi from downtown (64.8615, -147.6440). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Fairbanks?
The lowest sampled point is 428 ft (130 m), about 1.7 mi from downtown. That is 566 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Fairbanks?
At 445 ft, water boils at about 211.2 °F (99.5 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.44 inHg (997 hPa), so each breath holds about 98% 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 Fairbanks?
Fairbanks Intl (PAFA), 4.4 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 439 ft (134 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Fairbanks?
Downtown Fairbanks is at 445 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there.
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