Denver, CO elevation
Downtown Denver sits at 5,276 ft (1,608 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 429 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
5,276ft
1,608 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 39.73915, -104.98470 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Official elevation
- 5,280 ft (1,609 m)
- 13th step, west steps of the Colorado State Capitol
- Source: Colorado State Capitol: History of the Capitol (2003)
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 5,137 to 5,566 ft
- 1,566 to 1,696 m · 153 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 5,333 ft (1,626 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 Denver
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
Denver covers 153.1 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 153 sampled points run from 5,137 ft (1,566 m) to 5,566 ft (1,696 m), a spread of 429 ft. The average of those points is 5,333 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 153 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,599 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 5,276 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Denver (5,276 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 82 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Home canning
- Above 1,000 ft, USDA processing times and pressure-canner pounds go up.
- Canning adjustments
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.
Denver compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Lakewood, CO5,520 ft
- Aurora, CO5,405 ft
- Westminster, CO5,382 ft
- Arvada, CO5,349 ft
- Thornton, CO5,347 ft
- Denver (downtown)5,276 ft
- Las Vegas, NV1,996 ft
- Oklahoma City, OK1,196 ft
- Nashville, TN555 ft
- Boston, MA48 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Denver | 5,276 ft (1,608 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 5,566 ft (1,696 m) · 7.2 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 5,137 ft (1,566 m) · 3.9 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Rocky Mountain Metro (KBJC) | 5,673 ft (1,729 m) · 14 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Denver at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 729,019 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 153.1 sq mi (396.5 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Denver | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Englewood | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 39.73915, -104.98470 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Fort Collins, CO — 5,004 ft, 59 mi (94 km) away
- Colorado Springs, CO — 6,009 ft, 63 mi (102 km) away
- Cheyenne, WY — 6,091 ft, 97 mi (156 km) away
- Santa Fe, NM — 6,997 ft, 285 mi (458 km) away
- Rapid City, SD — 3,243 ft, 313 mi (504 km) away
- All Colorado elevations
Tools pre-filled for 5,276 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Denver, CO?
Downtown Denver is 5,276 ft (1,608 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. The official figure is 5,280 ft, measured at 13th step, west steps of the Colorado State Capitol (Colorado State Capitol: History of the Capitol). Inside the city limits, USGS values at 153 sampled points run from 5,137 to 5,566 ft.
What is the highest point in Denver?
The highest of our 153 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 5,566 ft (1,696 m), about 7.2 mi from downtown (39.6503, -104.9137). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Denver?
The lowest sampled point is 5,137 ft (1,566 m), about 3.9 mi from downtown. That is 429 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Denver?
At 5,276 ft, water boils at about 202.4 °F (94.7 °C) and standard air pressure is 24.64 inHg (834 hPa), so each breath holds about 82% 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 Denver?
Rocky Mountain Metro (KBJC), 14 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 5,673.4 ft (1,729 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Denver?
Yes. At 5,276 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 5,137 to 5,566 ft.
Sources
- Colorado State Capitol: History of the Capitol (2003) — elevation of 13th step, west steps of the Colorado State Capitol
- 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