Sacramento, CA elevation
Downtown Sacramento sits at 27 ft (8 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 61 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
27ft
8 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 38.58157, -121.49440 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 1 to 62 ft
- 0 to 19 m · 160 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 26 ft (8 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 Sacramento
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
Sacramento covers 98.6 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 160 sampled points run from 1 ft (0 m) to 62 ft (19 m), a spread of 61 ft. The average of those points is 26 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 160 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,284 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 27 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Sacramento (27 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.
Sacramento compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Albuquerque, NM4,955 ft
- Tucson, AZ2,481 ft
- Atlanta, GA1,050 ft
- Raleigh, NC315 ft
- Folsom, CA220 ft
- Citrus Heights, CA166 ft
- Roseville, CA164 ft
- Rancho Cordova, CA90 ft
- Elk Grove, CA49 ft
- Sacramento (downtown)27 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Sacramento | 27 ft (8 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 62 ft (19 m) · 6.3 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 1 ft (0 m) · 4.9 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Sacramento Exec (KSAC) | 23 ft (7 m) · 4.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Sacramento at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 535,798 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 98.6 sq mi (255.5 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Sacramento | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Sacramento East | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 38.58157, -121.49440 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- South Lake Tahoe, CA — 6,238 ft, 85 mi (137 km) away
- Truckee, CA — 5,817 ft, 87 mi (141 km) away
- Carson City, NV — 4,680 ft, 101 mi (163 km) away
- Mammoth Lakes, CA — 7,873 ft, 152 mi (244 km) away
- Bishop, CA — 4,145 ft, 189 mi (304 km) away
- All California elevations
Tools pre-filled for 27 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Sacramento, CA?
Downtown Sacramento is 27 ft (8 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 1 to 62 ft.
What is the highest point in Sacramento?
The highest of our 160 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 62 ft (19 m), about 6.3 mi from downtown (38.6397, -121.4053). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Sacramento?
The lowest sampled point is 1 ft (0 m), about 4.9 mi from downtown. That is 61 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Sacramento?
At 27 ft, water boils at about 211.9 °F (100.0 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.89 inHg (1,012 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 Sacramento?
Sacramento Exec (KSAC), 4.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 23.4 ft (7 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Sacramento?
Downtown Sacramento is at 27 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