What Is My Altitude for Canning?
Enter your elevation (or use your location) to see which altitude column to use in USDA canning recipes and how much pressure your canner needs.
Your canning altitude
—ft
- Boiling-water canner
- Most fruit and tomato tables: use the column.
- Tables with three columns (many jams and jellies): use .
- Pressure canner, dial gauge
- for recipes processed at 11 lb at sea level ().
- Pressure canner, weighted gauge
- Boil before eating (if in doubt)
Food safety
Only use tested recipes from USDA or USDA-endorsed sources, and use the processing time and pressure in that recipe for your altitude. USDA warns that low-acid and tomato foods not canned this way risk botulism. This tool finds your altitude and the matching table column; it does not replace the recipe. See the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
USDA altitude settings
Dial-gauge pressure canner (pressure needed to reach 240 °F)
| Altitude | Pressure |
|---|---|
| Sea level to 2,000 ft | 11 lb |
| 2,001 to 4,000 ft | 12 lb |
| 4,001 to 6,000 ft | 13 lb |
| 6,001 to 8,000 ft | 14 lb |
| 8,001 to 10,000 ft | 15 lb |
Source: USDA FSIS.
Weighted-gauge pressure canner
At altitudes above 1,000 feet, weighted-gauge canners must be operated at 10 instead of 5, or 15 instead of 10, psi (USDA Guide, Part 1).
Boiling-water canner
Processing times are set per recipe. Most fruit and tomato tables use the columns 0–1,000 ft, 1,001–3,000 ft, 3,001–6,000 ft and above 6,000 ft; many jam and jelly tables use 0–1,000 ft, 1,001–6,000 ft and above 6,000 ft.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Why does altitude matter for canning?
Water boils at a lower temperature higher up, so jars in a boiling-water canner get less heat, and a pressure canner reaches a lower temperature at the same gauge reading. USDA recipes make up for this with longer times or higher pressure.
How do I use the altitude column?
Each tested USDA recipe has a table of processing times by altitude. Find the column that matches your altitude range shown above and use that time. Different recipes use different ranges, so read the column headings in your recipe.
What pressure should I use in a weighted-gauge canner?
USDA says that above 1,000 feet, weighted-gauge canners must be operated at 10 instead of 5, or 15 instead of 10, psi, because the weights come in fixed steps.
My elevation is above 10,000 ft. What now?
USDA canning tables stop at 10,000 ft. Contact your county Cooperative Extension office for guidance before canning.
Can I use the elevation of my city instead of my house?
Use your own elevation if you can, especially near a column boundary: towns can span hundreds of feet. Tap "Use my location" to look it up.
Sources
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015), via NCHFP — altitude ranges in processing tables, pressure-canner settings
- USDA Guide Part 1: Principles of Home Canning (PDF) — weighted-gauge pressure above 1,000 ft
- USDA FSIS: High Altitude Cooking — dial-gauge pressure by altitude; boiling time before eating
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service — your elevation when you use your location
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.