Jefferson City, MO elevation
Downtown Jefferson City sits at 630 ft (192 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 299 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
630ft
192 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 38.57670, -92.17352 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 529 to 828 ft
- 161 to 252 m · 161 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 646 ft (197 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 Jefferson City
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
Jefferson City covers 36.1 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 161 sampled points run from 529 ft (161 m) to 828 ft (252 m), a spread of 299 ft. The average of those points is 646 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 161 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 776 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 630 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Jefferson City (630 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.
Jefferson City compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Ashland, MO901 ft
- California, MO892 ft
- Holts Summit, MO855 ft
- Wardsville, MO776 ft
- Fulton, MO764 ft
- Jefferson City (downtown)630 ft
- Harrisburg, PA334 ft
- Concord, NH274 ft
- Annapolis, MD44 ft
- Dover, DE29 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Jefferson City | 630 ft (192 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 828 ft (252 m) · 4.5 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 529 ft (161 m) · 6.3 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Jefferson City Meml (KJEF) | 549 ft (168 m) · 1.4 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Jefferson City at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,564 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 36.1 sq mi (93.4 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Cole | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Jefferson City | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 38.57670, -92.17352 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Springfield, IL — 600 ft, 160 mi (257 km) away
- Topeka, KS — 948 ft, 191 mi (308 km) away
- Des Moines, IA — 873 ft, 222 mi (358 km) away
- Little Rock, AR — 337 ft, 265 mi (426 km) away
- Lincoln, NE — 1,202 ft, 284 mi (457 km) away
- All Missouri elevations
Tools pre-filled for 630 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Jefferson City, MO?
Downtown Jefferson City is 630 ft (192 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 161 sampled points run from 529 to 828 ft.
What is the highest point in Jefferson City?
The highest of our 161 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 828 ft (252 m), about 4.5 mi from downtown (38.5842, -92.2569). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Jefferson City?
The lowest sampled point is 529 ft (161 m), about 6.3 mi from downtown. That is 299 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Jefferson City?
At 630 ft, water boils at about 210.9 °F (99.4 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.25 inHg (990 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 Jefferson City?
Jefferson City Meml (KJEF), 1.4 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 549.4 ft (168 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Jefferson City?
Downtown Jefferson City is at 630 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