Charlotte, NC elevation
Downtown Charlotte sits at 763 ft (233 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 536 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
763ft
233 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 35.22709, -80.84313 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 288 to 824 ft
- 88 to 251 m · 155 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 690 ft (210 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 Charlotte
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
Charlotte covers 311.6 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 155 sampled points run from 288 ft (88 m) to 824 ft (251 m), a spread of 536 ft. The average of those points is 690 ft, lower than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 155 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 2,282 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 763 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Charlotte (763 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 97 % 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.
Charlotte compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Denver, CO5,276 ft
- Huntersville, NC810 ft
- Gastonia, NC803 ft
- Kannapolis, NC799 ft
- Columbus, OH780 ft
- Charlotte (downtown)763 ft
- Indianapolis, IN730 ft
- Concord, NC706 ft
- Rock Hill, SC678 ft
- Austin, TX487 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Charlotte | 763 ft (233 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 824 ft (251 m) · 5.7 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 288 ft (88 m) · 7.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Charlotte/Douglas Intl (KCLT) | 748 ft (228 m) · 6.2 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Charlotte at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 943,476 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 311.6 sq mi (807.1 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Mecklenburg | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Charlotte East | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 35.22709, -80.84313 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Winston-Salem, NC — 911 ft, 69 mi (111 km) away
- Columbia, SC — 299 ft, 85 mi (137 km) away
- Raleigh, NC — 315 ft, 130 mi (209 km) away
- Augusta, GA — 141 ft, 137 mi (221 km) away
- Charleston, SC — 10 ft, 177 mi (285 km) away
- All North Carolina elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Charlotte, NC?
Downtown Charlotte is 763 ft (233 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 155 sampled points run from 288 to 824 ft.
What is the highest point in Charlotte?
The highest of our 155 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 824 ft (251 m), about 5.7 mi from downtown (35.3077, -80.8213). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Charlotte?
The lowest sampled point is 288 ft (88 m), about 7.8 mi from downtown. That is 536 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Charlotte?
At 763 ft, water boils at about 210.6 °F (99.2 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.11 inHg (986 hPa), so each breath holds about 97% 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 Charlotte?
Charlotte/Douglas Intl (KCLT), 6.2 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 747.9 ft (228 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Charlotte?
Downtown Charlotte is at 763 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