Columbus, OH elevation
Downtown Columbus sits at 780 ft (238 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 451 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
780ft
238 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 39.96118, -82.99879 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 556 to 1,007 ft
- 169 to 307 m · 154 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 817 ft (249 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 Columbus
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
Columbus covers 221.5 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 154 sampled points run from 556 ft (169 m) to 1,007 ft (307 m), a spread of 451 ft. The average of those points is 817 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 154 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,924 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 780 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Columbus (780 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.
Columbus compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Denver, CO5,276 ft
- Hilliard, OH933 ft
- Reynoldsburg, OH879 ft
- Delaware, OH868 ft
- Grove City, OH847 ft
- Dublin, OH829 ft
- Columbus (downtown)780 ft
- Charlotte, NC763 ft
- Indianapolis, IN730 ft
- Austin, TX487 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Columbus | 780 ft (238 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 1,007 ft (307 m) · 11 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 556 ft (169 m) · 6.4 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: John Glenn Columbus Intl (KCMH) | 815 ft (248 m) · 6.2 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Columbus at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 933,263 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 221.5 sq mi (573.8 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Franklin | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Southeast Columbus | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 39.96118, -82.99879 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Frankfort, KY — 504 ft, 158 mi (254 km) away
- Pittsburgh, PA — 765 ft, 162 mi (261 km) away
- Indianapolis, IN — 730 ft, 168 mi (270 km) away
- Lansing, MI — 853 ft, 208 mi (334 km) away
- Winston-Salem, NC — 911 ft, 306 mi (492 km) away
- All Ohio elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Columbus, OH?
Downtown Columbus is 780 ft (238 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 154 sampled points run from 556 to 1,007 ft.
What is the highest point in Columbus?
The highest of our 154 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 1,007 ft (307 m), about 11 mi from downtown (40.0075, -82.7930). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Columbus?
The lowest sampled point is 556 ft (169 m), about 6.4 mi from downtown. That is 451 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Columbus?
At 780 ft, water boils at about 210.6 °F (99.2 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.09 inHg (985 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 Columbus?
John Glenn Columbus Intl (KCMH), 6.2 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 815 ft (248 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Columbus?
Downtown Columbus is at 780 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 1,007 ft, where the 1,001 ft and higher columns apply.
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