Springfield, IL elevation
Downtown Springfield sits at 600 ft (183 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 104 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
600ft
183 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 39.80172, -89.64371 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 514 to 618 ft
- 157 to 188 m · 169 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 585 ft (178 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 Springfield
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
Springfield covers 61.3 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 169 sampled points run from 514 ft (157 m) to 618 ft (188 m), a spread of 104 ft. The average of those points is 585 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 169 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,012 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 600 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Springfield (600 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 98 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
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.
Springfield compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Provo, UT4,553 ft
- West jordan, UT4,373 ft
- Las Cruces, NM3,910 ft
- Lansing, MI853 ft
- Taylorville, IL629 ft
- Auburn, IL625 ft
- Chatham, IL606 ft
- Springfield (downtown)600 ft
- Sherman, IL580 ft
- Rochester, IL560 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Springfield | 600 ft (183 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 618 ft (188 m) · 6.6 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 514 ft (157 m) · 4.0 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Abraham Lincoln Capital (KSPI) | 598 ft (182 m) · 3.5 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Springfield at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,949 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 61.3 sq mi (158.7 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Sangamon | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Springfield West | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 39.80172, -89.64371 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Jefferson City, MO — 630 ft, 160 mi (257 km) away
- Indianapolis, IN — 730 ft, 185 mi (298 km) away
- Madison, WI — 875 ft, 226 mi (364 km) away
- Des Moines, IA — 873 ft, 242 mi (389 km) away
- Frankfort, KY — 504 ft, 279 mi (449 km) away
- All Illinois elevations
Tools pre-filled for 600 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Springfield, IL?
Downtown Springfield is 600 ft (183 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 169 sampled points run from 514 to 618 ft.
What is the highest point in Springfield?
The highest of our 169 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 618 ft (188 m), about 6.6 mi from downtown (39.7577, -89.7544). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Springfield?
The lowest sampled point is 514 ft (157 m), about 4.0 mi from downtown. That is 104 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Springfield?
At 600 ft, water boils at about 210.9 °F (99.4 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.28 inHg (991 hPa), so each breath holds about 98% 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 Springfield?
Abraham Lincoln Capital (KSPI), 3.5 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 597.9 ft (182 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Springfield?
Downtown Springfield is at 600 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 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made