Carson City, NV elevation
Downtown Carson City sits at 4,680 ft (1,426 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 8,914 ft, 6.4 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
4,680ft
1,426 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 39.16380, -119.76740 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 4,566 to 8,914 ft
- 1,392 to 2,717 m · 172 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 5,792 ft (1,765 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 Carson 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
Carson City covers 144.5 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 172 sampled points run from 4,566 ft (1,392 m) to 8,914 ft (2,717 m), a spread of 4,348 ft. The average of those points is 5,792 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 172 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,554 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 4,680 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Carson City (4,680 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 84 % 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.
Carson City compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- South Lake Tahoe, CA6,238 ft
- Cheyenne, WY6,091 ft
- Truckee, CA5,817 ft
- Bozeman, MT4,811 ft
- Carson City (downtown)4,680 ft
- Reno, NV4,505 ft
- Sparks, NV4,413 ft
- Fernley, NV4,154 ft
- Harrisburg, PA334 ft
- Olympia, WA96 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Carson City | 4,680 ft (1,426 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 8,914 ft (2,717 m) · 6.4 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 4,566 ft (1,392 m) · 5.2 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Carson City (KCXP) | 4,704 ft (1,434 m) · 2.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Carson City at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,148 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 144.5 sq mi (374.3 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Carson City (city) | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Carson City | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 39.16380, -119.76740 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- South Lake Tahoe, CA — 6,238 ft, 20 mi (32 km) away
- Truckee, CA — 5,817 ft, 25 mi (40 km) away
- Sacramento, CA — 27 ft, 101 mi (163 km) away
- Mammoth Lakes, CA — 7,873 ft, 113 mi (182 km) away
- Bishop, CA — 4,145 ft, 145 mi (233 km) away
- All Nevada elevations
Tools pre-filled for 4,680 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Carson City, NV?
Downtown Carson City is 4,680 ft (1,426 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 172 sampled points run from 4,566 to 8,914 ft.
What is the highest point in Carson City?
The highest of our 172 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 8,914 ft (2,717 m), about 6.4 mi from downtown (39.1616, -119.8875). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Carson City?
The lowest sampled point is 4,566 ft (1,392 m), about 5.2 mi from downtown. That is 4,348 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Carson City?
At 4,680 ft, water boils at about 203.5 °F (95.3 °C) and standard air pressure is 25.20 inHg (853 hPa), so each breath holds about 84% 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 Carson City?
Carson City (KCXP), 2.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 4,704.4 ft (1,434 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Carson City?
Yes. At 4,680 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 4,566 to 8,914 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