Dover, DE elevation

Downtown Dover sits at 29 ft (9 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 52 ft.

USGS elevation downtown

29ft

9 m above sea level

Ground elevation at 39.15817, -75.52437 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).

Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service

Range inside city limits (sampled): 3 to 55 ft; 1 to 17 m · 165 USGS points; Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
Average of sampled points: 29 ft (9 m); Source: USGS 3DEP

Data updated 2026-10-26 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made

Check your exact spot in Dover

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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Map: USGS The National Map topographic basemap (US coverage).

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Elevation range inside the city limits

Dover covers 23.8 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 165 sampled points run from 3 ft (1 m) to 55 ft (17 m), a spread of 52 ft. The average of those points is 29 ft, close to the downtown value.

Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 165 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 631 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.

Life at 29 ft

Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Dover (29 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.

Water boils at: 211.9 °F; 100.0 °C; Boiling point calculator
Air pressure: 29.89 inHg; 1,012 hPa · 14.68 psi; Pressure calculator
Oxygen per breath: 100 % of sea level; Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
Home canning: At or below 1,000 ft, use the standard USDA sea-level times.; 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.

Dover compared with nearby and similar-size cities

Helena, MT4,048 ft
Jefferson City, MO630 ft
Concord, NH274 ft
Middletown, DE66 ft
Clayton, DE46 ft
Annapolis, MD44 ft
Smyrna, DE32 ft
Dover (downtown)29 ft
Milford, DE13 ft
Bridgeton, NJ8 ft

USGS elevation at each city's center point. Nearby: the largest places around this city (by 2024 Census population estimate; by land area in Hawaii, which has no incorporated places). Similar size: other cities on this site with a population within a factor of two.

Landmark elevations

What	Value	Source
Downtown Dover	29 ft (9 m)	USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates
Highest sampled point	55 ft (17 m) · 2.3 mi from downtown	USGS 3DEP grid sample
Lowest sampled point	3 ft (1 m) · 0.7 mi from downtown	USGS 3DEP grid sample
Nearest public airport: Chandelle (0N4)	22 ft (7 m) · 3.7 mi away	FAA field elevation

Dover at a glance

What	Value	Source
Population	40,191 (July 1, 2024)	U.S. Census Bureau estimate
Land area	23.8 sq mi (61.7 km²)	Census 2024 Gazetteer
County	Kent	USGS GNIS
USGS 7.5-minute topo map	Dover	USGS GNIS
Downtown coordinates	39.15817, -75.52437	USGS GNIS

More places and tools

Nearest city pages

Annapolis, MD — 44 ft, 53 mi (86 km) away
Philadelphia, PA — 35 ft, 58 mi (94 km) away
Trenton, NJ — 61 ft, 84 mi (135 km) away
Harrisburg, PA — 334 ft, 106 mi (170 km) away
Richmond, VA — 213 ft, 153 mi (246 km) away
All Delaware elevations

Tools pre-filled for 29 ft

Frequently asked questions

What is the elevation of Dover, DE?

Downtown Dover is 29 ft (9 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 3 to 55 ft.

What is the highest point in Dover?

The highest of our 165 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 55 ft (17 m), about 2.3 mi from downtown (39.1560, -75.5680). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.

What is the lowest point in Dover?

The lowest sampled point is 3 ft (1 m), about 0.7 mi from downtown. That is 52 ft below the highest sampled point.

At what temperature does water boil in Dover?

At 29 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 Dover?

Chandelle (0N4), 3.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 22 ft (7 m).

Do I need to adjust canning times in Dover?

Downtown Dover is at 29 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 2026-10-26 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made