Charleston, SC elevation
Downtown Charleston sits at 10 ft (3 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 56 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
10ft
3 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 32.77657, -79.93092 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- -5 to 51 ft
- -2 to 16 m · 181 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 9 ft (3 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 Charleston
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
Charleston covers 115.2 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 181 sampled points run from -5 ft (-2 m) to 51 ft (16 m), a spread of 56 ft. The average of those points is 9 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 181 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,388 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 10 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Charleston (10 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.
- 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.
Charleston compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Fort Collins, CO5,004 ft
- Eugene, OR430 ft
- Columbia, SC299 ft
- Jackson, MS279 ft
- Summerville, SC73 ft
- Hanahan, SC38 ft
- Goose Creek, SC31 ft
- Mount Pleasant, SC21 ft
- North Charleston, SC18 ft
- Charleston (downtown)10 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Charleston | 10 ft (3 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 51 ft (16 m) · 15 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | -5 ft (-2 m) · 3.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Charleston Exec (KJZI) | 19 ft (6 m) · 6.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Charleston at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 157,665 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 115.2 sq mi (298.5 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Charleston | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Charleston | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 32.77657, -79.93092 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Columbia, SC — 299 ft, 106 mi (170 km) away
- Augusta, GA — 141 ft, 128 mi (205 km) away
- Charlotte, NC — 763 ft, 177 mi (285 km) away
- Raleigh, NC — 315 ft, 220 mi (354 km) away
- Winston-Salem, NC — 911 ft, 230 mi (371 km) away
- All South Carolina elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Charleston, SC?
Downtown Charleston is 10 ft (3 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 181 sampled points run from -5 to 51 ft.
What is the highest point in Charleston?
The highest of our 181 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 51 ft (16 m), about 15 mi from downtown (32.9633, -79.8086). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Charleston?
The lowest sampled point is -5 ft (-2 m), about 3.8 mi from downtown. That is 56 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Charleston?
At 10 ft, water boils at about 212.0 °F (100.0 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.91 inHg (1,013 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 Charleston?
Charleston Exec (KJZI), 6.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 18.6 ft (6 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Charleston?
Downtown Charleston is at 10 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 · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made