How to find elevation on Google Maps

Google Maps shows elevation only as labelled contour lines in Terrain view, and mostly in hilly or mountain areas. Here is how to turn it on and read it.

Updated 2026-10-26 · By Ankit Kumar

Need one number for one spot instead? Find your current elevation or look up an address; both read the USGS value directly.

Steps

Open Google Maps in a browser or the app. The steps are the same; the buttons look slightly different.
Search for the place you want, or move the map there.

Google Maps with a location searched in the search box — Search for the place first (example: an area near Mount Fuji).

Open Layers. On the web it is the square button in the lower-left corner; in the app it is the stacked-squares button near the top right.

The Layers button in the lower-left corner of Google Maps on the web — Layers button, web version.

The Layers button in the Google Maps phone app — Layers button, app version.

Choose Terrain.

The Terrain option in the Google Maps layers menu — Select the Terrain layer.

If Terrain is already selected, make sure its toggle is on.

The Terrain toggle switched on in Google Maps — The Terrain toggle must be on.

Zoom in slowly. Contour lines with elevation labels appear at closer zoom levels over hilly ground.

Contour lines with elevation labels on a mountain in Google Maps Terrain view — Contour labels give the elevation of each line. Contrast was raised in this screenshot to make them easier to see.

Google Maps Terrain view zoomed out with no elevation labels — Zoomed too far out, no labels are shown.

Limits of Google Maps for elevation

Labels appear mainly in hilly and mountain areas; flat towns often show none.
You read the value between two contour lines, so you get a range, not an exact height.
There is no point lookup, profile or export.

For a profile along a path, Google Earth Pro does better. For a single point, our elevation from coordinates tool gives the USGS value in feet and meters.

Screenshots taken in 2024; Google changes its menus from time to time.

Frequently asked questions

Can Google Maps show the elevation of my exact location?

No. Terrain view shows contour lines with elevation labels in hilly and mountain areas, but it does not give a number for a single point. To get one, use our elevation tool, which reads the USGS value for your position.

Why do I see no elevation numbers in Terrain view?

Either the area is too flat for labelled contours or you are zoomed too far out. Zoom in a step at a time over hilly ground.