Helena, MT elevation
Downtown Helena sits at 4,048 ft (1,234 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 5,321 ft, 1.4 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
4,048ft
1,234 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 46.59271, -112.03611 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 3,773 to 5,321 ft
- 1,150 to 1,622 m · 163 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 4,109 ft (1,253 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 Helena
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.
Your spot
—ft
Choose a location to see its elevation.
…ft
Looking up elevation…
ft
m
How accurate is this?
Data sources:
Elevation range inside the city limits
Helena covers 17.2 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 163 sampled points run from 3,773 ft (1,150 m) to 5,321 ft (1,622 m), a spread of 1,548 ft. The average of those points is 4,109 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 163 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 536 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 4,048 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Helena (4,048 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 86 % 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.
Helena compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Walkerville, MT6,290 ft
- Boulder, MT4,908 ft
- Deer Lodge, MT4,567 ft
- Helena (downtown)4,048 ft
- East Helena, MT3,889 ft
- Townsend, MT3,824 ft
- Kalispell, MT2,955 ft
- Fairbanks, AK445 ft
- Juneau, AK34 ft
- Dover, DE29 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Helena | 4,048 ft (1,234 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 5,321 ft (1,622 m) · 1.4 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 3,773 ft (1,150 m) · 2.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Helena Rgnl (KHLN) | 3,877 ft (1,182 m) · 2.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Helena at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,729 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 17.2 sq mi (44.5 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Lewis and Clark | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Helena | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 46.59271, -112.03611 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Bozeman, MT — 4,811 ft, 79 mi (127 km) away
- Missoula, MT — 3,209 ft, 95 mi (152 km) away
- Big Sky, MT — 7,220 ft, 96 mi (154 km) away
- Kalispell, MT — 2,955 ft, 154 mi (247 km) away
- Whitefish, MT — 3,035 ft, 165 mi (266 km) away
- All Montana elevations
Tools pre-filled for 4,048 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Helena, MT?
Downtown Helena is 4,048 ft (1,234 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 163 sampled points run from 3,773 to 5,321 ft.
What is the highest point in Helena?
The highest of our 163 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 5,321 ft (1,622 m), about 1.4 mi from downtown (46.5893, -112.0660). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Helena?
The lowest sampled point is 3,773 ft (1,150 m), about 2.8 mi from downtown. That is 1,548 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Helena?
At 4,048 ft, water boils at about 204.6 °F (95.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 25.80 inHg (874 hPa), so each breath holds about 86% 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 Helena?
Helena Rgnl (KHLN), 2.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 3,877.3 ft (1,182 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Helena?
Yes. At 4,048 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 3,773 to 5,321 ft.
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