Harrisburg, PA elevation

Downtown Harrisburg sits at 334 ft (102 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 208 ft.

USGS elevation downtown

334ft

102 m above sea level

Ground elevation at 40.27370, -76.88442 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).

Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service

Range inside city limits (sampled): 289 to 497 ft; 88 to 152 m · 231 USGS points; Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
Average of sampled points: 338 ft (103 m); Source: USGS 3DEP

Data updated 2026-10-26 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made

Check your exact spot in Harrisburg

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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Map: USGS The National Map topographic basemap (US coverage).

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Elevation range inside the city limits

Harrisburg covers 8.1 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 231 sampled points run from 289 ft (88 m) to 497 ft (152 m), a spread of 208 ft. The average of those points is 338 ft, close to the downtown value.

Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 231 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 368 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.

Life at 334 ft

Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Harrisburg (334 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.

Water boils at: 211.4 °F; 99.7 °C; Boiling point calculator
Air pressure: 29.56 inHg; 1,001 hPa · 14.52 psi; Pressure calculator
Oxygen per breath: 99 % of sea level; Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
Home canning: At or below 1,000 ft, use the standard USDA sea-level times.; 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.

Harrisburg compared with nearby and similar-size cities

Bozeman, MT4,811 ft
Carson City, NV4,680 ft
Carlisle, PA474 ft
Lebanon, PA468 ft
Elizabethtown, PA452 ft
Mechanicsburg, PA433 ft
York, PA393 ft
Harrisburg (downtown)334 ft
Concord, NH274 ft
Olympia, WA96 ft

USGS elevation at each city's center point. Nearby: the largest places around this city (by 2024 Census population estimate; by land area in Hawaii, which has no incorporated places). Similar size: other cities on this site with a population within a factor of two.

Landmark elevations

What	Value	Source
Downtown Harrisburg	334 ft (102 m)	USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates
Highest sampled point	497 ft (152 m) · 1.9 mi from downtown	USGS 3DEP grid sample
Lowest sampled point	289 ft (88 m) · 2.5 mi from downtown	USGS 3DEP grid sample
Nearest public airport: Capital City (KCXY)	347 ft (106 m) · 4.3 mi away	FAA field elevation

Harrisburg at a glance

What	Value	Source
Population	50,649 (July 1, 2024)	U.S. Census Bureau estimate
Land area	8.1 sq mi (21.0 km²)	Census 2024 Gazetteer
County	Dauphin	USGS GNIS
USGS 7.5-minute topo map	Harrisburg West	USGS GNIS
Downtown coordinates	40.27370, -76.88442	USGS GNIS

More places and tools

Nearest city pages

Annapolis, MD — 44 ft, 92 mi (148 km) away
Philadelphia, PA — 35 ft, 94 mi (151 km) away
Dover, DE — 29 ft, 106 mi (170 km) away
Trenton, NJ — 61 ft, 113 mi (182 km) away
Pittsburgh, PA — 765 ft, 164 mi (264 km) away
All Pennsylvania elevations

Tools pre-filled for 334 ft

Frequently asked questions

What is the elevation of Harrisburg, PA?

Downtown Harrisburg is 334 ft (102 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 231 sampled points run from 289 to 497 ft.

What is the highest point in Harrisburg?

The highest of our 231 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 497 ft (152 m), about 1.9 mi from downtown (40.2691, -76.8486). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.

What is the lowest point in Harrisburg?

The lowest sampled point is 289 ft (88 m), about 2.5 mi from downtown. That is 208 ft below the highest sampled point.

At what temperature does water boil in Harrisburg?

At 334 ft, water boils at about 211.4 °F (99.7 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.56 inHg (1,001 hPa), so each breath holds about 99% 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 Harrisburg?

Capital City (KCXY), 4.3 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 346.7 ft (106 m).

Do I need to adjust canning times in Harrisburg?

Downtown Harrisburg is at 334 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 2026-10-26 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made