Tennessee elevation
Tennessee runs from 178 ft at Mississippi River to 6,643 ft at Clingmans Dome, with an average of about 935 ft.
Highest point: Clingmans Dome
6,643ft
2,025 m above sea level
Clingmans Dome, Sevier County · NGVD 29 (the older U.S. vertical datum)
- Lowest point: Mississippi River
- 178 ft (54 m)
- NGVD 29 (the older U.S. vertical datum)
- Source: USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001)
- Average elevation (sampled)
- 935 ft (285 m)
- Mean of 221 USGS points about 22 km apart; an estimate, not a published figure.
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Tennessee places on this site
Cities and towns (USGS, downtown)
- Nashville555 ft
Tennessee elevation facts
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highest point: Clingmans Dome | 6,643 ft (2,025 m) | USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) |
| Lowest point: Mississippi River | 178 ft (54 m) | USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) |
| Vertical range | 6,465 ft (1,971 m) | Difference of the two figures above |
| Average elevation (sampled) | 935 ft (285 m) | USGS 3DEP, 221 grid points |
| USGS 3DEP value at the high point | 6,644 ft (2,025 m) | USGS 3DEP, within 250 m of the GNIS summit |
| Capital: Nashville-Davidson | 555 ft (169 m) | USGS 3DEP at the city center |
| Land area | 41,224 sq mi (106,771 km²) | Census 2024 boundary file |
Life at 935 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for the state's sampled average elevation (935 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.
City elevations in Tennessee
- Knoxville899 ft
- Chattanooga676 ft
- Nashville-Davidson (capital)555 ft
- Nashville555 ft
- Clarksville474 ft
- Memphis260 ft
Largest places in Tennessee
The five incorporated places by 2024 Census population estimate.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson | 555 ft (169 m) · pop. 704,963 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Memphis | 260 ft (79 m) · pop. 610,919 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Knoxville | 899 ft (274 m) · pop. 198,722 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Chattanooga | 676 ft (206 m) · pop. 191,496 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
| Clarksville | 474 ft (145 m) · pop. 185,690 | USGS 3DEP; Census 2024 estimate |
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest point in Tennessee?
Clingmans Dome at 6,643 ft (2,025 m), from USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001).
What is the lowest point in Tennessee?
Mississippi River, at 178 ft, per the USGS Elevations and Distances table (2001).
What is the average elevation of Tennessee?
About 935 ft (285 m): the mean of USGS 3DEP elevations at 221 points on a regular grid about 22 km apart inside the state boundary. It is our estimate, not a published figure.
Which Tennessee city on this site is highest?
Nashville, at 555 ft downtown (USGS).
Does altitude affect cooking in Tennessee?
At 935 ft, water boils at about 210.3 °F (99.1 °C) and standard air pressure is 28.92 inHg (979 hPa), so each breath holds about 97% of the oxygen it would at sea level. That is for the state's average elevation; check your own town, because Tennessee spans 6,465 ft from lowest to highest.
Sources
- USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) — highest point
- USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) — lowest point
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — average elevation, city-center values and the high-point check
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files (places, states; 1:500,000) — state boundary and land area
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — city locations
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (cities and towns, July 1, 2024) — largest cities by population
- Wikidata (elevation statements that cite a source; the cited source is listed with each value) — state capital name
- 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
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.
Every state: US elevation by state · Highest point in each state
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made