Portland, OR elevation
Downtown Portland sits at 32 ft (10 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 1,045 ft, 6.0 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
32ft
10 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 45.52345, -122.67621 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 5 to 1,045 ft
- 2 to 319 m · 172 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 238 ft (73 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 Portland
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
Portland covers 133.5 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 172 sampled points run from 5 ft (2 m) to 1,045 ft (319 m), a spread of 1,040 ft. The average of those points is 238 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 172 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,494 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 32 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Portland (32 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.
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.
Portland compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Las Vegas, NV1,996 ft
- Oklahoma City, OK1,196 ft
- Nashville, TN555 ft
- Gresham, OR319 ft
- Hillsboro, OR195 ft
- Beaverton, OR194 ft
- Vancouver, WA191 ft
- Tigard, OR166 ft
- Boston, MA48 ft
- Portland (downtown)32 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Portland | 32 ft (10 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 1,045 ft (319 m) · 6.0 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 5 ft (2 m) · 4.5 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Portland Intl (KPDX) | 31 ft (9 m) · 5.9 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Portland at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 635,749 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 133.5 sq mi (345.7 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Multnomah | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Portland | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 45.52345, -122.67621 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Salem, OR — 157 ft, 44 mi (70 km) away
- Hood River, OR — 422 ft, 57 mi (92 km) away
- Sisters, OR — 3,186 ft, 101 mi (163 km) away
- Eugene, OR — 430 ft, 104 mi (167 km) away
- Olympia, WA — 96 ft, 105 mi (169 km) away
- All Oregon elevations
Tools pre-filled for 32 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Portland, OR?
Downtown Portland is 32 ft (10 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 5 to 1,045 ft.
What is the highest point in Portland?
The highest of our 172 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 1,045 ft (319 m), about 6.0 mi from downtown (45.5600, -122.7889). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Portland?
The lowest sampled point is 5 ft (2 m), about 4.5 mi from downtown. That is 1,040 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Portland?
At 32 ft, water boils at about 211.9 °F (100.0 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.89 inHg (1,012 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 Portland?
Portland Intl (KPDX), 5.9 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 30.8 ft (9 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Portland?
Downtown Portland is at 32 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 1,045 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