Colorado elevation
Colorado runs from 3,315 ft at Arikaree River to 14,440 ft at Mount Elbert, with an average of about 6,948 ft.
Highest point: Mount Elbert
14,440ft
4,401 m above sea level
NGS survey mark MOUNT ELBERT (PID KL0637), Lake County · NAVD 88 (current U.S. vertical datum)
Source: NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18)
- Lowest point: Arikaree River
- 3,315 ft (1,010 m)
- NGVD 29 (the older U.S. vertical datum)
- Source: USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001)
- Average elevation (sampled)
- 6,948 ft (2,118 m)
- Mean of 221 USGS points about 35 km apart; an estimate, not a published figure.
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- USGS table figure for the high point
- 14,433 ft
- Older survey on the NGVD 29 datum.
- Source: USGS Elevations and Distances (revised 2001)
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Colorado places on this site
Cities and towns (USGS, downtown)
- Colorado Springs6,009 ft
- Denver5,276 ft
- Fort Collins5,004 ft
Mountains and peaks
- Mount Elbert14,440 ft
- Mount Harvard14,421 ft
- Mount Massive14,417 ft
- Mount Lincoln14,293 ft
- Mount Antero14,276 ft
- Mount Blue Sky14,265 ft
- Longs Peak14,259 ft
- Mount Cameron14,244 ft
- Mount Princeton14,204 ft
- Mount Yale14,200 ft
- Mount Sneffels14,158 ft
- Pikes Peak14,115 ft
- Mount Columbia14,077 ft
Colorado elevation facts
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highest point: Mount Elbert | 14,440 ft (4,401 m) | NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18) |
| Lowest point: Arikaree River | 3,315 ft (1,010 m) | USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) |
| Vertical range | 11,125 ft (3,391 m) | Difference of the two figures above |
| Average elevation (sampled) | 6,948 ft (2,118 m) | USGS 3DEP, 221 grid points |
| USGS 3DEP value at the high point | 14,432 ft (4,399 m) | USGS 3DEP, within 250 m of the GNIS summit |
| Capital: Denver | 5,276 ft (1,608 m) | USGS 3DEP at the city center |
| Land area | 103,637 sq mi (268,419 km²) | Census 2024 boundary file |
Life at 6,948 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for the state's sampled average elevation (6,948 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 77 % 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.
City elevations in Colorado
- Colorado Springs6,009 ft
- Lakewood5,520 ft
- Aurora5,405 ft
- Denver (capital)5,276 ft
- Fort Collins5,004 ft
Largest places in Colorado
The five incorporated places by 2024 Census population estimate.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | 5,276 ft (1,608 m) · pop. 729,019 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Colorado Springs | 6,009 ft (1,832 m) · pop. 493,554 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Aurora | 5,405 ft (1,647 m) · pop. 403,130 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Fort Collins | 5,004 ft (1,525 m) · pop. 170,924 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Lakewood | 5,520 ft (1,682 m) · pop. 156,868 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest point in Colorado?
Mount Elbert at 14,440 ft (4,401 m), from NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18). The USGS Elevations and Distances table (2001) lists 14,433 ft, an older survey on the NGVD 29 datum.
What is the lowest point in Colorado?
Arikaree River, at 3,315 ft, per the USGS Elevations and Distances table (2001).
What is the average elevation of Colorado?
About 6,948 ft (2,118 m): the mean of USGS 3DEP elevations at 221 points on a regular grid about 35 km apart inside the state boundary. It is our estimate, not a published figure.
Which Colorado city on this site is highest?
Colorado Springs, at 6,009 ft downtown (USGS). The lowest is Fort Collins at 5,004 ft.
Does altitude affect cooking in Colorado?
At 6,948 ft, water boils at about 199.3 °F (93.0 °C) and standard air pressure is 23.13 inHg (783 hPa), so each breath holds about 77% of the oxygen it would at sea level. That is for the state's average elevation; check your own town, because Colorado spans 11,125 ft from lowest to highest.
Sources
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18) — highest point
- USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) — lowest point
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — average elevation, city-center values and the high-point check
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files (places, states; 1:500,000) — state boundary and land area
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — city locations
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (cities and towns, July 1, 2024) — largest cities by population
- Wikidata (elevation statements that cite a source; the cited source is listed with each value) — state capital name
- 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
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.
Every state: US elevation by state · Highest point in each state
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made