Colorado Springs, CO elevation
Downtown Colorado Springs sits at 6,009 ft (1,832 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 7,621 ft, 6.2 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
6,009ft
1,832 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 38.83388, -104.82136 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 5,782 to 7,621 ft
- 1,762 to 2,323 m · 150 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 6,373 ft (1,942 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 Colorado Springs
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
Colorado Springs covers 202.1 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 150 sampled points run from 5,782 ft (1,762 m) to 7,621 ft (2,323 m), a spread of 1,839 ft. The average of those points is 6,373 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 150 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,838 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 6,009 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Colorado Springs (6,009 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 80 % 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.
Colorado Springs compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Woodland Park, CO8,480 ft
- Palmer Lake, CO7,300 ft
- Monument, CO6,978 ft
- Manitou Springs, CO6,368 ft
- Colorado Springs (downtown)6,009 ft
- Fountain, CO5,543 ft
- Tucson, AZ2,481 ft
- Atlanta, GA1,050 ft
- Raleigh, NC315 ft
- Sacramento, CA27 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Colorado Springs | 6,009 ft (1,832 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 7,621 ft (2,323 m) · 6.2 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 5,782 ft (1,762 m) · 10 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: City of Colorado Springs Muni (KCOS) | 6,187 ft (1,886 m) · 6.8 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Colorado Springs at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 493,554 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 202.1 sq mi (523.4 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | El Paso | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Colorado Springs | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 38.83388, -104.82136 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Denver, CO — 5,276 ft, 63 mi (102 km) away
- Fort Collins, CO — 5,004 ft, 122 mi (196 km) away
- Cheyenne, WY — 6,091 ft, 159 mi (256 km) away
- Santa Fe, NM — 6,997 ft, 226 mi (364 km) away
- Albuquerque, NM — 4,955 ft, 278 mi (447 km) away
- All Colorado elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Colorado Springs, CO?
Downtown Colorado Springs is 6,009 ft (1,832 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 150 sampled points run from 5,782 to 7,621 ft.
What is the highest point in Colorado Springs?
The highest of our 150 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 7,621 ft (2,323 m), about 6.2 mi from downtown (38.8890, -104.9125). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Colorado Springs?
The lowest sampled point is 5,782 ft (1,762 m), about 10 mi from downtown. That is 1,839 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Colorado Springs?
At 6,009 ft, water boils at about 201.1 °F (93.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 23.97 inHg (812 hPa), so each breath holds about 80% 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 Colorado Springs?
City of Colorado Springs Muni (KCOS), 6.8 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 6,187 ft (1,886 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Colorado Springs?
Yes. At 6,009 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 5,782 to 7,621 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