Pittsburgh, PA elevation
Downtown Pittsburgh sits at 765 ft (233 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 551 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
765ft
233 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 40.44062, -79.99589 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 709 to 1,260 ft
- 216 to 384 m · 163 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 954 ft (291 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 Pittsburgh
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
Pittsburgh covers 55.4 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 163 sampled points run from 709 ft (216 m) to 1,260 ft (384 m), a spread of 551 ft. The average of those points is 954 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 163 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 962 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 765 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Pittsburgh (765 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.
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.
Pittsburgh compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Monroeville, PA1,206 ft
- Lincoln, NE1,202 ft
- Bethel Park, PA1,195 ft
- Baldwin, PA1,154 ft
- Plum, PA1,139 ft
- Murrysville, PA907 ft
- Madison, WI875 ft
- St. Paul, MN789 ft
- Pittsburgh (downtown)765 ft
- Anchorage, AK104 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Pittsburgh | 765 ft (233 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 1,260 ft (384 m) · 3.5 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 709 ft (216 m) · 3.2 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Allegheny County (KAGC) | 1,252 ft (382 m) · 6.9 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Pittsburgh at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 307,668 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 55.4 sq mi (143.4 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Allegheny | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Pittsburgh East | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 40.44062, -79.99589 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Columbus, OH — 780 ft, 162 mi (261 km) away
- Harrisburg, PA — 334 ft, 164 mi (264 km) away
- Annapolis, MD — 44 ft, 212 mi (341 km) away
- Richmond, VA — 213 ft, 241 mi (389 km) away
- Dover, DE — 29 ft, 253 mi (408 km) away
- All Pennsylvania elevations
Tools pre-filled for 765 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Pittsburgh, PA?
Downtown Pittsburgh is 765 ft (233 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 163 sampled points run from 709 to 1,260 ft.
What is the highest point in Pittsburgh?
The highest of our 163 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 1,260 ft (384 m), about 3.5 mi from downtown (40.3918, -79.9761). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Pittsburgh?
The lowest sampled point is 709 ft (216 m), about 3.2 mi from downtown. That is 551 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Pittsburgh?
At 765 ft, water boils at about 210.6 °F (99.2 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.10 inHg (986 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 Pittsburgh?
Allegheny County (KAGC), 6.9 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 1,251.5 ft (382 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Pittsburgh?
Downtown Pittsburgh is at 765 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 1,260 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