Winston-Salem, NC elevation
Downtown Winston-Salem sits at 911 ft (278 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 310 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
911ft
278 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 36.09986, -80.24422 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 685 to 995 ft
- 209 to 303 m · 157 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 862 ft (263 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 Winston-Salem
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
Winston-Salem covers 133.7 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 157 sampled points run from 685 ft (209 m) to 995 ft (303 m), a spread of 310 ft. The average of those points is 862 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 157 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,495 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 911 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Winston-Salem (911 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.
Winston-Salem compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Boise, ID2,700 ft
- Scottsdale, AZ1,259 ft
- Kernersville, NC1,010 ft
- High Point, NC922 ft
- Winston-Salem (downtown)911 ft
- Madison, WI875 ft
- Thomasville, NC850 ft
- Clemmons, NC840 ft
- Greensboro, NC823 ft
- Richmond, VA213 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Winston-Salem | 911 ft (278 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 995 ft (303 m) · 2.6 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 685 ft (209 m) · 5.5 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Smith Reynolds (KINT) | 969 ft (296 m) · 2.6 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Winston-Salem at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 255,769 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 133.7 sq mi (346.3 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Forsyth | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Winston-Salem East | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 36.09986, -80.24422 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Charlotte, NC — 763 ft, 69 mi (111 km) away
- Raleigh, NC — 315 ft, 93 mi (149 km) away
- Columbia, SC — 299 ft, 152 mi (244 km) away
- Richmond, VA — 213 ft, 184 mi (296 km) away
- Augusta, GA — 141 ft, 206 mi (332 km) away
- All North Carolina elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Winston-Salem, NC?
Downtown Winston-Salem is 911 ft (278 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 157 sampled points run from 685 to 995 ft.
What is the highest point in Winston-Salem?
The highest of our 157 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 995 ft (303 m), about 2.6 mi from downtown (36.1376, -80.2449). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Winston-Salem?
The lowest sampled point is 685 ft (209 m), about 5.5 mi from downtown. That is 310 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Winston-Salem?
At 911 ft, water boils at about 210.3 °F (99.1 °C) and standard air pressure is 28.95 inHg (980 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 Winston-Salem?
Smith Reynolds (KINT), 2.6 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 969.4 ft (296 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Winston-Salem?
Downtown Winston-Salem is at 911 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