Boston, MA elevation
Downtown Boston sits at 48 ft (15 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 252 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
48ft
15 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 42.35843, -71.05977 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- -11 to 241 ft
- -3 to 73 m · 166 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 60 ft (18 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 Boston
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
Boston covers 48.3 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 166 sampled points run from -11 ft (-3 m) to 241 ft (73 m), a spread of 252 ft. The average of those points is 60 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 166 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 899 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 48 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Boston (48 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 100 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Oxygen calculator
- Home canning
- At or below 1,000 ft, use the standard USDA sea-level times.
- 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.
Boston compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Las Vegas, NV1,996 ft
- Oklahoma City, OK1,196 ft
- Nashville, TN555 ft
- Lowell, MA117 ft
- Brockton, MA113 ft
- Boston (downtown)48 ft
- Lynn, MA36 ft
- Quincy, MA35 ft
- Portland, OR32 ft
- Cambridge, MA21 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Boston | 48 ft (15 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 241 ft (73 m) · 8.0 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | -11 ft (-3 m) · 2.1 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: General Edward Lawrence Logan Intl (KBOS) | 19 ft (6 m) · 2.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Boston at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 673,458 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 48.3 sq mi (125.2 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Suffolk | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Boston South | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 42.35843, -71.05977 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Providence, RI — 9 ft, 41 mi (66 km) away
- Concord, NH — 274 ft, 64 mi (102 km) away
- Hartford, CT — 51 ft, 93 mi (150 km) away
- Albany, NY — 143 ft, 139 mi (223 km) away
- Montpelier, VT — 522 ft, 152 mi (244 km) away
- All Massachusetts elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Boston, MA?
Downtown Boston is 48 ft (15 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 166 sampled points run from -11 to 241 ft.
What is the highest point in Boston?
The highest of our 166 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 241 ft (73 m), about 8.0 mi from downtown (42.2481, -71.1094). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Boston?
The lowest sampled point is -11 ft (-3 m), about 2.1 mi from downtown. That is 252 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Boston?
At 48 ft, water boils at about 211.9 °F (99.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.87 inHg (1,011 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 Boston?
General Edward Lawrence Logan Intl (KBOS), 2.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 19.1 ft (6 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Boston?
Downtown Boston is at 48 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