Sisters, OR elevation
Downtown Sisters sits at 3,186 ft (971 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 95 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
3,186ft
971 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 44.29095, -121.54921 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 3,149 to 3,244 ft
- 960 to 989 m · 154 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 3,189 ft (972 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 Sisters
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
Sisters covers 1.9 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 154 sampled points run from 3,149 ft (960 m) to 3,244 ft (989 m), a spread of 95 ft. The average of those points is 3,189 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 154 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 180 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 3,186 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Sisters (3,186 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 89 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Home canning
- Above 1,000 ft, USDA processing times and pressure-canner pounds go up.
- Canning adjustments
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.
Sisters compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Big Bear Lake, CA6,752 ft
- Bishop, CA4,145 ft
- Bend, OR3,625 ft
- Sisters (downtown)3,186 ft
- Redmond, OR3,000 ft
- Culver, OR2,631 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Sisters | 3,186 ft (971 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 3,244 ft (989 m) · 1.7 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 3,149 ft (960 m) · 0.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Sisters Eagle Air (6K5) | 3,168 ft (966 m) · 1.1 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Sisters at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,957 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 1.9 sq mi (5.0 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Deschutes | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Sisters | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 44.29095, -121.54921 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Bend, OR — 3,625 ft, 20 mi (32 km) away
- Eugene, OR — 430 ft, 78 mi (125 km) away
- Salem, OR — 157 ft, 86 mi (138 km) away
- Hood River, OR — 422 ft, 98 mi (157 km) away
- Portland, OR — 32 ft, 101 mi (163 km) away
- All Oregon elevations
Tools pre-filled for 3,186 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Sisters, OR?
Downtown Sisters is 3,186 ft (971 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 3,149 to 3,244 ft.
What is the highest point in Sisters?
The highest of our 154 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 3,244 ft (989 m), about 1.7 mi from downtown (44.2953, -121.5830). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Sisters?
The lowest sampled point is 3,149 ft (960 m), about 0.8 mi from downtown. That is 95 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Sisters?
At 3,186 ft, water boils at about 206.2 °F (96.8 °C) and standard air pressure is 26.63 inHg (902 hPa), so each breath holds about 89% 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 Sisters?
Sisters Eagle Air (6K5), 1.1 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 3,168 ft (966 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Sisters?
Yes. At 3,186 ft downtown, USDA tables call for longer boiling-water processing times and higher weighted-gauge pressure than at sea level. Check your own address, because the city spans 3,149 to 3,244 ft.
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