Truckee, CA elevation
Downtown Truckee sits at 5,817 ft (1,773 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 7,321 ft, 4.4 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
5,817ft
1,773 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 39.32796, -120.18325 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 0 to 7,321 ft
- 0 to 2,231 m · 165 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 6,045 ft (1,843 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 Truckee
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
Truckee covers 32.3 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 165 sampled points run from 0 ft (0 m) to 7,321 ft (2,231 m), a spread of 7,321 ft. The average of those points is 6,045 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 165 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 735 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 5,817 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Truckee (5,817 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 81 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Oxygen calculator
- Home canning
- Above 1,000 ft, USDA processing times and pressure-canner pounds go up.
- Canning adjustments · Baking
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.
Truckee compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- South Lake Tahoe, CA6,238 ft
- Jackson, WY6,238 ft
- Truckee (downtown)5,817 ft
- Carson City, NV4,680 ft
- Reno, NV4,505 ft
- Sparks, NV4,413 ft
- Grass Valley, CA2,412 ft
- Pierre, SD1,479 ft
- Frankfort, KY504 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Truckee | 5,817 ft (1,773 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 7,321 ft (2,231 m) · 4.4 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 0 ft (0 m) · 3.3 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Truckee-Tahoe (KTRK) | 5,904 ft (1,800 m) · 2.4 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Truckee at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,240 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 32.3 sq mi (83.7 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Nevada | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Truckee | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 39.32796, -120.18325 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Carson City, NV — 4,680 ft, 25 mi (40 km) away
- South Lake Tahoe, CA — 6,238 ft, 29 mi (47 km) away
- Sacramento, CA — 27 ft, 87 mi (141 km) away
- Mammoth Lakes, CA — 7,873 ft, 133 mi (214 km) away
- Bishop, CA — 4,145 ft, 167 mi (268 km) away
- All California elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Truckee, CA?
Downtown Truckee is 5,817 ft (1,773 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 165 sampled points run from 0 to 7,321 ft.
What is the highest point in Truckee?
The highest of our 165 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 7,321 ft (2,231 m), about 4.4 mi from downtown (39.3459, -120.2632). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Truckee?
The lowest sampled point is 0 ft (0 m), about 3.3 mi from downtown. That is 7,321 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Truckee?
At 5,817 ft, water boils at about 201.4 °F (94.1 °C) and standard air pressure is 24.14 inHg (818 hPa), so each breath holds about 81% 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 Truckee?
Truckee-Tahoe (KTRK), 2.4 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 5,904.3 ft (1,800 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Truckee?
Yes. At 5,817 ft downtown, USDA tables call for longer boiling-water processing times and higher weighted-gauge pressure than at sea level. Check your own address, because the city spans 0 to 7,321 ft.
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