Mount Elbert elevation
Mount Elbert rises to 14,440 ft (4,401 m) above sea level, the highest point in Colorado.
Published summit elevation
14,440ft
4,401 m above sea level
NGS survey mark MOUNT ELBERT (PID KL0637) · NAVD 88 (current U.S. vertical datum)
Source: NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18)
- USGS 3DEP grid value (secondary)
- 14,432 ft (4,399 m)
- 8 ft below the published figure. Elevation grids average each cell, so they under-read sharp summits.
- Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program
- Rise above Leadville, CO
- 4,284 ft
- 12 mi from the summit; nearest incorporated place
- Source: USGS 3DEP at the town center
- Rank in state
- Highest point in Colorado
- Source: USGS Elevations and Distances
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Check your exact spot in the Mount Elbert area
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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Data sources:
Life at 14,432 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for the summit of Mount Elbert (14,432 ft, from the USGS grid value). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 58 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Home canning
- Above 1,000 ft, USDA processing times and pressure-canner pounds go up.
- Canning adjustments
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.
Health note: the CDC says unacclimatized travelers risk altitude illness when sleeping at about 8,000 ft or higher, and sometimes lower. This page is general information, not medical advice; read the CDC guidance on high-altitude travel and talk to a clinician before a high climb.
Mount Elbert and other Colorado peaks on this site
- Mount Elbert14,440 ft
- Mount Harvard14,421 ft
- Mount Massive14,417 ft
- Mount Lincoln14,293 ft
- Mount Antero14,276 ft
- Mount Blue Sky14,265 ft
- Longs Peak14,259 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Published summit elevation | 14,440 ft (4,401 m) | NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18) |
| Highest USGS 3DEP value near the summit | 14,432 ft (4,399 m) | USGS 3DEP, 81 points within 250 m |
| USGS 3DEP at the GNIS summit point | 14,432 ft (4,399 m) | USGS 3DEP + GNIS coordinates |
| Nearest town: Leadville, CO | 10,156 ft (3,095 m) · 12 mi away | Census Gazetteer + USGS 3DEP |
| Nearest public airport: Lake County (KLXV) | 9,934 ft (3,028 m) · 9.8 mi away | FAA field elevation |
| Bull Hill (nearby summit) | 13,757 ft (4,193 m) · 1.6 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Mount Cosgriff (nearby summit) | 13,580 ft (4,139 m) · 1.8 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| French Mountain (nearby summit) | 13,936 ft (4,248 m) · 2.1 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Casco Peak (nearby summit) | 13,893 ft (4,235 m) · 2.6 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Parry Peak (nearby summit) | 12,676 ft (3,864 m) · 2.9 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
Mount Elbert at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| County | Lake | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Mount Elbert | USGS GNIS |
| Summit coordinates | 39.11787, -106.44526 | USGS GNIS |
More peaks and tools
- Mount Massive, CO — 14,417 ft, 5.1 mi away
- Mount Harvard, CO — 14,421 ft, 15 mi away
- Mount Columbia, CO — 14,077 ft, 17 mi away
- Mount Yale, CO — 14,200 ft, 20 mi away
- Mount Cameron, CO — 14,244 ft, 24 mi away
- All Colorado elevations
Frequently asked questions
How tall is Mount Elbert?
Mount Elbert is 14,440 ft (4,401 m) above sea level, according to NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18), on the NAVD 88 datum. The highest USGS 3DEP grid value near the summit is 14,432 ft.
Why does the USGS map value differ from the published height of Mount Elbert?
The USGS 3D Elevation Program stores ground elevation as a grid of cells. Each cell holds one value for its whole area, so a pointed summit is averaged with the slopes around it and the grid reads lower than a survey of the top. Here the difference is 8 ft.
Where is Mount Elbert?
Mount Elbert is in Lake County, Colorado, at 39.1179, -106.4453, about 12 mi from Leadville. It appears on the USGS Mount Elbert 7.5-minute topographic map.
How much oxygen is there at the top of Mount Elbert?
At 14,432 ft, water boils at about 185.6 °F (85.3 °C) and standard air pressure is 17.28 inHg (585 hPa), so each breath holds about 58% of the oxygen it would at sea level. The CDC says unacclimatized travelers risk altitude illness when they sleep at about 8,000 ft or higher, and sometimes lower.
What is the closest airport to Mount Elbert?
The nearest public-use airport is Lake County (KLXV), 9.8 mi away in a straight line, at 9,934 ft (FAA).
Sources
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet KL0637 (mark last recovered 2014-07-18) — elevation of NGS survey mark MOUNT ELBERT (PID KL0637)
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — grid elevation near the summit, nearby summits and the nearest town
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Domestic Names — summit name, position, county and topo map
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — nearest incorporated town
- 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
- CDC Yellow Book: High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness — altitude illness threshold
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