Madison, WI elevation
Downtown Madison sits at 875 ft (267 m) above sea level. Across the city limits the ground varies by about 303 ft.
USGS elevation downtown
875ft
267 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 43.07305, -89.40123 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 845 to 1,148 ft
- 257 to 350 m · 189 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 925 ft (282 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 Madison
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
Madison covers 83.6 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 189 sampled points run from 845 ft (257 m) to 1,148 ft (350 m), a spread of 303 ft. The average of those points is 925 ft, close to the downtown value.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 189 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 1,182 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 875 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Madison (875 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.
Madison compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Lincoln, NE1,202 ft
- Fitchburg, WI1,010 ft
- Verona, WI972 ft
- Sun Prairie, WI955 ft
- Middleton, WI940 ft
- Waunakee, WI929 ft
- Madison (downtown)875 ft
- St. Paul, MN789 ft
- Pittsburgh, PA765 ft
- Anchorage, AK104 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Madison | 875 ft (267 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 1,148 ft (350 m) · 6.3 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 845 ft (257 m) · 1.7 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: Dane County Rgnl/Truax Fld (KMSN) | 887 ft (270 m) · 5.6 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Madison at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 285,300 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 83.6 sq mi (216.6 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Dane | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Madison West | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 43.07305, -89.40123 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- St. Paul, MN — 789 ft, 224 mi (361 km) away
- Springfield, IL — 600 ft, 226 mi (364 km) away
- Des Moines, IA — 873 ft, 238 mi (383 km) away
- Lansing, MI — 853 ft, 246 mi (396 km) away
- Indianapolis, IN — 730 ft, 283 mi (456 km) away
- All Wisconsin elevations
Tools pre-filled for 875 ft
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Madison, WI?
Downtown Madison is 875 ft (267 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 189 sampled points run from 845 to 1,148 ft.
What is the highest point in Madison?
The highest of our 189 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 1,148 ft (350 m), about 6.3 mi from downtown (43.0460, -89.5208). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Madison?
The lowest sampled point is 845 ft (257 m), about 1.7 mi from downtown. That is 303 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Madison?
At 875 ft, water boils at about 210.4 °F (99.1 °C) and standard air pressure is 28.99 inHg (982 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 Madison?
Dane County Rgnl/Truax Fld (KMSN), 5.6 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 886.6 ft (270 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Madison?
Downtown Madison is at 875 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 1,148 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