Olympia, WA elevation
Downtown Olympia sits at 96 ft (29 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 325 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
96ft
29 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 47.03787, -122.90070 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- -3 to 322 ft
- -1 to 98 m · 171 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 155 ft (47 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 Olympia
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
Olympia covers 18.2 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 171 sampled points run from -3 ft (-1 m) to 322 ft (98 m), a spread of 325 ft. The average of those points is 155 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 171 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 552 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 96 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Olympia (96 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.
Olympia compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Cheyenne, WY6,091 ft
- Bozeman, MT4,811 ft
- Carson City, NV4,680 ft
- Harrisburg, PA334 ft
- Lakewood, WA261 ft
- Lacey, WA204 ft
- University Place, WA202 ft
- Centralia, WA188 ft
- Tumwater, WA174 ft
- Olympia (downtown)96 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Olympia | 96 ft (29 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 322 ft (98 m) · 2.9 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | -3 ft (-1 m) · 0.8 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Hoskins Fld (44T) | 213 ft (65 m) · 4.7 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Olympia at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,271 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 18.2 sq mi (47.2 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Thurston | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Tumwater | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 47.03787, -122.90070 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Portland, OR — 32 ft, 105 mi (169 km) away
- Hood River, OR — 422 ft, 113 mi (182 km) away
- Salem, OR — 157 ft, 145 mi (233 km) away
- Sisters, OR — 3,186 ft, 201 mi (323 km) away
- Eugene, OR — 430 ft, 206 mi (332 km) away
- All Washington elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Olympia, WA?
Downtown Olympia is 96 ft (29 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 171 sampled points run from -3 to 322 ft.
What is the highest point in Olympia?
The highest of our 171 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 322 ft (98 m), about 2.9 mi from downtown (47.0280, -122.9600). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Olympia?
The lowest sampled point is -3 ft (-1 m), about 0.8 mi from downtown. That is 325 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Olympia?
At 96 ft, water boils at about 211.8 °F (99.9 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.82 inHg (1,010 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 Olympia?
Hoskins Fld (44T), 4.7 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 213 ft (65 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Olympia?
Downtown Olympia is at 96 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