Mount Katahdin elevation
Mount Katahdin rises to 5,268 ft (1,606 m) above sea level, the highest point in Maine.
Published summit elevation
5,268ft
1,606 m above sea level
Summit · NGVD 29 (the older U.S. vertical datum)
- USGS 3DEP grid value (secondary)
- 5,263 ft (1,604 m)
- 5 ft below the published figure. Elevation grids average each cell, so they under-read sharp summits.
- Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program
- Rise above Old Town, ME
- 5,164 ft
- 66 mi from the summit; nearest incorporated place
- Source: USGS 3DEP at the town center
- Rank in state
- Highest point in Maine
- 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 Katahdin 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 5,263 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for the summit of Mount Katahdin (5,263 ft, from the USGS grid value). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 82 % 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.
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Published summit elevation | 5,268 ft (1,606 m) | USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) |
| Highest USGS 3DEP value near the summit | 5,263 ft (1,604 m) | USGS 3DEP, 81 points within 250 m |
| USGS 3DEP at the GNIS summit point | 5,263 ft (1,604 m) | USGS 3DEP + GNIS coordinates |
| Nearest town: Old Town, ME | 104 ft (32 m) · 66 mi away | Census Gazetteer + USGS 3DEP |
| Nearest public airport: Millinocket Muni (KMLT) | 408 ft (124 m) · 21 mi away | FAA field elevation |
| South Peak (nearby summit) | 5,243 ft (1,598 m) · 0.3 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Chimney Peak (nearby summit) | 4,874 ft (1,486 m) · 0.7 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Pamola (nearby summit) | 4,897 ft (1,493 m) · 0.8 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Rum Mountain (nearby summit) | 3,369 ft (1,027 m) · 1.2 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Hamlin Peak (nearby summit) | 4,751 ft (1,448 m) · 1.4 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
Mount Katahdin at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| County | Piscataquis | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Mount Katahdin | USGS GNIS |
| Summit coordinates | 45.90428, -68.92136 | USGS GNIS |
More peaks and tools
- Mount Adams, NH — 5,790 ft, 159 mi away
- Mount Washington, NH — 6,287 ft, 162 mi away
- Mount Monroe, NH — 5,353 ft, 163 mi away
- Mount Lafayette, NH — 5,242 ft, 179 mi away
- Mount Mansfield, VT — 4,395 ft, 211 mi away
- All Maine elevations
Frequently asked questions
How tall is Mount Katahdin?
Mount Katahdin is 5,268 ft (1,606 m) above sea level, according to USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001), on the NGVD 29 datum. The highest USGS 3DEP grid value near the summit is 5,263 ft.
Why does the USGS map value differ from the published height of Mount Katahdin?
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 5 ft.
Where is Mount Katahdin?
Mount Katahdin is in Piscataquis County, Maine, at 45.9043, -68.9214, about 66 mi from Old Town. It appears on the USGS Mount Katahdin 7.5-minute topographic map.
How much oxygen is there at the top of Mount Katahdin?
At 5,263 ft, water boils at about 202.4 °F (94.7 °C) and standard air pressure is 24.65 inHg (835 hPa), so each breath holds about 82% 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 Katahdin?
The nearest public-use airport is Millinocket Muni (KMLT), 21 mi away in a straight line, at 408 ft (FAA).
Sources
- USGS, Elevations and Distances in the United States (highest and lowest elevations) (revised edition 2001) — elevation of Summit
- 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