Albany, NY elevation
Downtown Albany sits at 143 ft (44 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 417 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
143ft
44 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 42.65258, -73.75623 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 4 to 421 ft
- 1 to 128 m · 164 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 199 ft (61 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 Albany
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
Albany covers 21.4 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 164 sampled points run from 4 ft (1 m) to 421 ft (128 m), a spread of 417 ft. The average of those points is 199 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 164 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 598 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 143 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Albany (143 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.
Albany compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Orem, UT4,773 ft
- Bend, OR3,625 ft
- Springfield, IL600 ft
- Schenectady, NY241 ft
- Albany (downtown)143 ft
- Cohoes, NY98 ft
- Trenton, NJ61 ft
- Troy, NY36 ft
- Watervliet, NY26 ft
- Rensselaer, NY17 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Albany | 143 ft (44 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 421 ft (128 m) · 6.1 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 4 ft (1 m) · 0.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Albany Intl (KALB) | 285 ft (87 m) · 7.1 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Albany at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 101,317 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 21.4 sq mi (55.4 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Albany | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Albany | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 42.65258, -73.75623 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Hartford, CT — 51 ft, 82 mi (132 km) away
- Concord, NH — 274 ft, 119 mi (191 km) away
- Montpelier, VT — 522 ft, 126 mi (203 km) away
- Providence, RI — 9 ft, 133 mi (214 km) away
- Boston, MA — 48 ft, 139 mi (223 km) away
- All New York elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Albany, NY?
Downtown Albany is 143 ft (44 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 164 sampled points run from 4 to 421 ft.
What is the highest point in Albany?
The highest of our 164 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 421 ft (128 m), about 6.1 mi from downtown (42.7078, -73.8506). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Albany?
The lowest sampled point is 4 ft (1 m), about 0.8 mi from downtown. That is 417 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Albany?
At 143 ft, water boils at about 211.7 °F (99.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.77 inHg (1,008 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 Albany?
Albany Intl (KALB), 7.1 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 284.8 ft (87 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Albany?
Downtown Albany is at 143 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