Nashville, TN elevation
Downtown Nashville sits at 555 ft (169 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 522 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
555ft
169 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 36.16589, -86.78444 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 387 to 909 ft
- 118 to 277 m · 163 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 588 ft (179 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 Nashville
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
Nashville covers 475.6 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 163 sampled points run from 387 ft (118 m) to 909 ft (277 m), a spread of 522 ft. The average of those points is 588 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 163 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 2,819 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 555 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Nashville (555 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 98 % 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.
Nashville compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Denver, CO5,276 ft
- Las Vegas, NV1,996 ft
- Oklahoma City, OK1,196 ft
- Franklin, TN645 ft
- Nashville (downtown)555 ft
- Smyrna, TN542 ft
- Gallatin, TN540 ft
- Lebanon, TN528 ft
- Hendersonville, TN484 ft
- Boston, MA48 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Nashville | 555 ft (169 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 909 ft (277 m) · 12 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 387 ft (118 m) · 11 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: John C Tune (KJWN) | 501 ft (153 m) · 5.8 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Nashville at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 704,963 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 475.6 sq mi (1,231.7 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Davidson | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Nashville West | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 36.16589, -86.78444 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Frankfort, KY — 504 ft, 176 mi (283 km) away
- Atlanta, GA — 1,050 ft, 215 mi (346 km) away
- Indianapolis, IN — 730 ft, 251 mi (404 km) away
- Montgomery, AL — 238 ft, 264 mi (425 km) away
- Springfield, IL — 600 ft, 296 mi (476 km) away
- All Tennessee elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Nashville, TN?
Downtown Nashville is 555 ft (169 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 387 to 909 ft.
What is the highest point in Nashville?
The highest of our 163 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 909 ft (277 m), about 12 mi from downtown (36.3350, -86.7880). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Nashville?
The lowest sampled point is 387 ft (118 m), about 11 mi from downtown. That is 522 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Nashville?
At 555 ft, water boils at about 211.0 °F (99.4 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.33 inHg (993 hPa), so each breath holds about 98% 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 Nashville?
John C Tune (KJWN), 5.8 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 501 ft (153 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Nashville?
Downtown Nashville is at 555 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