Mount Wheeler elevation
Mount Wheeler rises to 13,167 ft (4,013 m) above sea level, the highest point in New Mexico.
Published summit elevation
13,167ft
4,013 m above sea level
NGS survey mark WHEELER (PID GM0779) · NAVD 88 (current U.S. vertical datum)
Source: NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet GM0779 (mark last recovered 2002-09-05)
- USGS 3DEP grid value (secondary)
- 13,157 ft (4,010 m)
- 10 ft below the published figure. Elevation grids average each cell, so they under-read sharp summits.
- Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program
- Rise above Taos Ski Valley, NM
- 3,838 ft
- 2.5 mi from the summit; nearest incorporated place
- Source: USGS 3DEP at the town center
- Rank in state
- Highest point in New Mexico
- 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 Wheeler 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 13,157 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for the summit of Mount Wheeler (13,157 ft, from the USGS grid value). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 61 % 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 | 13,167 ft (4,013 m) | NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet GM0779 (mark last recovered 2002-09-05) |
| Highest USGS 3DEP value near the summit | 13,157 ft (4,010 m) | USGS 3DEP, 81 points within 250 m |
| USGS 3DEP at the GNIS summit point | 13,157 ft (4,010 m) | USGS 3DEP + GNIS coordinates |
| Nearest town: Taos Ski Valley, NM | 9,329 ft (2,843 m) · 2.5 mi away | Census Gazetteer + USGS 3DEP |
| Nearest public airport: Angel Fire (KAXX) | 8,380 ft (2,554 m) · 12 mi away | FAA field elevation |
| Mount Walter (nearby summit) | 13,105 ft (3,994 m) · 0.4 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Simpson Peak (nearby summit) | 12,954 ft (3,949 m) · 0.6 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Old Mike Peak (nearby summit) | 13,106 ft (3,995 m) · 1.0 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Red Dome (nearby summit) | 12,682 ft (3,865 m) · 1.6 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
| Lake Fork Peak (nearby summit) | 12,878 ft (3,925 m) · 1.6 mi away | GNIS position, USGS 3DEP at that point |
Mount Wheeler at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| County | Taos | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Wheeler Peak | USGS GNIS |
| Summit coordinates | 36.55691, -105.41686 | USGS GNIS |
| Name in GNIS | Wheeler Peak | USGS GNIS |
More peaks and tools
- Mount Antero, CO — 14,276 ft, 153 mi away
- Mount Princeton, CO — 14,204 ft, 158 mi away
- Pikes Peak, CO — 14,115 ft, 159 mi away
- Mount Sneffels, CO — 14,158 ft, 164 mi away
- Mount Yale, CO — 14,200 ft, 165 mi away
- All New Mexico elevations
Frequently asked questions
How tall is Mount Wheeler?
Mount Wheeler is 13,167 ft (4,013 m) above sea level, according to NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet GM0779 (mark last recovered 2002-09-05), on the NAVD 88 datum. The highest USGS 3DEP grid value near the summit is 13,157 ft.
Why does the USGS map value differ from the published height of Mount Wheeler?
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 10 ft.
Where is Mount Wheeler?
Mount Wheeler is in Taos County, New Mexico, at 36.5569, -105.4169, about 2.5 mi from Taos Ski Valley. It appears on the USGS Wheeler Peak 7.5-minute topographic map.
How much oxygen is there at the top of Mount Wheeler?
At 13,157 ft, water boils at about 188.0 °F (86.7 °C) and standard air pressure is 18.18 inHg (616 hPa), so each breath holds about 61% 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 Wheeler?
The nearest public-use airport is Angel Fire (KAXX), 12 mi away in a straight line, at 8,380 ft (FAA).
Sources
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet GM0779 (mark last recovered 2002-09-05) — elevation of NGS survey mark WHEELER (PID GM0779)
- 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