Data study
Every US State Capital Ranked by Elevation
By Ankit Kumar · Published · Data as of
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the highest US state capital: its downtown sits at 6,997 ft, higher than the highest natural point in 35 of the 50 states.
Only three capitals, Santa Fe, Atlanta and Tallahassee, sit above their state's average elevation; even mile-high Denver is 1,672 ft below Colorado's.
Juneau, Alaska, is 34 ft above sea level downtown, 20,276 ft below Mount McKinley (Denali), the widest gap between any capital and its state's high point, yet its city limits climb to 5,733 ft.
Table of all 50 · Key findings · Methodology · Download CSV · Embed · For journalists and teachers
All 50 capitals, highest to lowest
USGS ground elevation at each capital's downtown point. Hover or tab to a name for meters, boiling point and oxygen.
- 1Santa Fe, NM6,997 ft
- 2Cheyenne, WY6,091 ft
- 3Denver, CO5,276 ft
- 4Carson City, NV4,680 ft
- 5Salt Lake City, UT4,264 ft
- 6Helena, MT4,048 ft
- 7Boise, ID2,700 ft
- 8Bismarck, ND1,695 ft
- 9Pierre, SD1,479 ft
- 10Lincoln, NE1,202 ft
- 11Oklahoma City, OK1,196 ft
- 12Phoenix, AZ1,088 ft
- 13Atlanta, GA1,050 ft
- 14Topeka, KS948 ft
- 15Madison, WI875 ft
- 16Des Moines, IA873 ft
- 17Lansing, MI853 ft
- 18St. Paul, MN789 ft
- 19Columbus, OH780 ft
- 20Indianapolis, IN730 ft
- 21Jefferson City, MO630 ft
- 22Springfield, IL600 ft
- 23Charleston, WV596 ft
- 24Nashville, TN555 ft
- 25Montpelier, VT522 ft
- 26Frankfort, KY504 ft
- 27Austin, TX487 ft
- 28Little Rock, AR337 ft
- 29Harrisburg, PA334 ft
- 30Raleigh, NC315 ft
- 31Columbia, SC299 ft
- 32Jackson, MS279 ft
- 33Concord, NH274 ft
- 34Montgomery, AL238 ft
- 35Richmond, VA213 ft
- 36Tallahassee, FL204 ft
- 37Salem, OR157 ft
- 38Albany, NY143 ft
- 39Augusta, ME123 ft
- 40Olympia, WA96 ft
- 41Trenton, NJ61 ft
- 42Hartford, CT51 ft
- 43Boston, MA48 ft
- 44Baton Rouge, LA46 ft
- 45Annapolis, MD44 ft
- 46Juneau, AK34 ft
- 47Dover, DE29 ft
- 48Sacramento, CA27 ft
- 49Honolulu, HI19 ft
- 50Providence, RI9 ft
Where the high and low capitals are
The six capitals at 3,000 ft and above (Santa Fe, Cheyenne, Denver, Carson City, Salt Lake City and Helena) are all in the Mountain West. The 11 under 100 ft range from Juneau and Honolulu to Boston and Annapolis. Alaska and Hawaii are shown inset, not to scale.
Every capital, every number
Range: lowest and highest of the USGS points sampled inside the city limits. State comparisons use each state's published highest point (linked to its source) and a sampled average elevation. Each capital links to its own page with the full data and sources.
Showing all 50 capitals. Select a column heading to sort.
| Rank | Capital | Downtown elevation | Sampled range in city limits | Water boils at | Air pressure | Oxygen per breath vs sea level | State highest point | Capital as % of state high point | Capital vs state mean elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Fe, NM | 6,997 ft 2,133 m | 6,238 to 7,802 ft 155 points | 199.3 °F 92.9 °C | 23.09 inHg 782 hPa | 77.2% | 13,167 ft Wheeler Peak | 53.1% | +1,226 ft above 5,771 ft |
| 2 | Cheyenne, WY | 6,091 ft 1,857 m | 5,907 to 6,324 ft 158 points | 200.9 °F 93.8 °C | 23.90 inHg 809 hPa | 79.9% | 13,804 ft Gannett Peak | 44.1% | −340 ft below 6,431 ft |
| 3 | Denver, CO | 5,276 ft 1,608 m | 5,137 to 5,566 ft 153 points | 202.4 °F 94.7 °C | 24.64 inHg 834 hPa | 82.3% | 14,440 ft Mount Elbert | 36.5% | −1,672 ft below 6,948 ft |
| 4 | Carson City, NV | 4,680 ft 1,426 m | 4,566 to 8,914 ft 172 points | 203.5 °F 95.3 °C | 25.20 inHg 853 hPa | 84.2% | 13,140 ft Boundary Peak | 35.6% | −802 ft below 5,482 ft |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | 4,264 ft 1,300 m | 4,214 to 9,070 ft 158 points | 204.2 °F 95.7 °C | 25.59 inHg 867 hPa | 85.5% | 13,528 ft Kings Peak | 31.5% | −1,759 ft below 6,023 ft |
| 6 | Helena, MT | 4,048 ft 1,234 m | 3,773 to 5,321 ft 163 points | 204.6 °F 95.9 °C | 25.80 inHg 874 hPa | 86.2% | 12,799 ft Granite Peak | 31.6% | −150 ft below 4,198 ft |
| 7 | Boise, ID | 2,700 ft 823 m | 2,581 to 3,558 ft 155 points | 207.1 °F 97.3 °C | 27.11 inHg 918 hPa | 90.6% | 12,668 ft Borah Peak | 21.3% | −2,558 ft below 5,258 ft |
| 8 | Bismarck, ND | 1,695 ft 517 m | 1,624 to 1,939 ft 157 points | 208.9 °F 98.3 °C | 28.13 inHg 953 hPa | 94.0% | 3,506 ft White Butte | 48.3% | −135 ft below 1,830 ft |
| 9 | Pierre, SD | 1,479 ft 451 m | 1,426 to 1,802 ft 155 points | 209.3 °F 98.5 °C | 28.36 inHg 960 hPa | 94.8% | 7,242 ft Harney Peak | 20.4% | −710 ft below 2,189 ft |
| 10 | Lincoln, NE | 1,202 ft 366 m | 1,127 to 1,418 ft 153 points | 209.8 °F 98.8 °C | 28.64 inHg 970 hPa | 95.7% | 5,424 ft Panorama Point | 22.2% | −1,375 ft below 2,577 ft |
| 11 | Oklahoma City, OK | 1,196 ft 365 m | 946 to 1,385 ft 163 points | 209.8 °F 98.8 °C | 28.65 inHg 970 hPa | 95.8% | 4,973 ft Black Mesa | 24.0% | −102 ft below 1,298 ft |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | 1,088 ft 332 m | 984 to 2,467 ft 160 points | 210.0 °F 98.9 °C | 28.76 inHg 974 hPa | 96.1% | 12,637 ft Humphreys Peak | 8.6% | −3,212 ft below 4,300 ft |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | 1,050 ft 320 m | 784 to 1,059 ft 155 points | 210.1 °F 98.9 °C | 28.80 inHg 975 hPa | 96.3% | 4,784 ft Brasstown Bald | 21.9% | +542 ft above 508 ft |
| 14 | Topeka, KS | 948 ft 289 m | 848 to 1,108 ft 153 points | 210.3 °F 99.0 °C | 28.91 inHg 979 hPa | 96.6% | 4,039 ft Mount Sunflower | 23.5% | −953 ft below 1,901 ft |
| 15 | Madison, WI | 875 ft 267 m | 845 to 1,148 ft 189 points | 210.4 °F 99.1 °C | 28.99 inHg 982 hPa | 96.9% | 1,951 ft Timms Hill | 44.8% | −207 ft below 1,082 ft |
| 16 | Des Moines, IA | 873 ft 266 m | 770 to 974 ft 156 points | 210.4 °F 99.1 °C | 28.99 inHg 982 hPa | 96.9% | 1,670 ft Hawkeye Point | 52.3% | −198 ft below 1,071 ft |
| 17 | Lansing, MI | 853 ft 260 m | 819 to 909 ft 156 points | 210.4 °F 99.1 °C | 29.01 inHg 982 hPa | 97.0% | 1,979 ft Mount Arvon | 43.1% | −47 ft below 900 ft |
| 18 | St. Paul, MN | 789 ft 241 m | 693 to 1,017 ft 159 points | 210.6 °F 99.2 °C | 29.08 inHg 985 hPa | 97.2% | 2,301 ft Eagle Mountain | 34.3% | −428 ft below 1,217 ft |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | 780 ft 238 m | 556 to 1,007 ft 154 points | 210.6 °F 99.2 °C | 29.09 inHg 985 hPa | 97.2% | 1,550 ft Campbell Hill | 50.3% | −143 ft below 923 ft |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | 730 ft 222 m | 650 to 883 ft 156 points | 210.7 °F 99.3 °C | 29.14 inHg 987 hPa | 97.4% | 1,257 ft Hoosier Hill | 58.1% | −16 ft below 746 ft |
| 21 | Jefferson City, MO | 630 ft 192 m | 529 to 828 ft 161 points | 210.9 °F 99.4 °C | 29.25 inHg 990 hPa | 97.7% | 1,772 ft Taum Sauk Mountain | 35.6% | −206 ft below 836 ft |
| 22 | Springfield, IL | 600 ft 183 m | 514 to 618 ft 169 points | 210.9 °F 99.4 °C | 29.28 inHg 991 hPa | 97.9% | 1,235 ft Charles Mound | 48.6% | −28 ft below 628 ft |
| 23 | Charleston, WV | 596 ft 182 m | 565 to 1,254 ft 161 points | 210.9 °F 99.4 °C | 29.28 inHg 992 hPa | 97.9% | 4,863 ft Spruce Knob | 12.3% | −1,066 ft below 1,662 ft |
| 24 | Nashville, TN | 555 ft 169 m | 387 to 909 ft 163 points | 211.0 °F 99.4 °C | 29.33 inHg 993 hPa | 98.0% | 6,643 ft Clingmans Dome | 8.4% | −380 ft below 935 ft |
| 25 | Montpelier, VT | 522 ft 159 m | 511 to 1,068 ft 157 points | 211.0 °F 99.5 °C | 29.36 inHg 994 hPa | 98.1% | 4,395 ft Mount Mansfield | 11.9% | −666 ft below 1,188 ft |
| 26 | Frankfort, KY | 504 ft 154 m | 473 to 820 ft 159 points | 211.1 °F 99.5 °C | 29.38 inHg 995 hPa | 98.2% | 4,145 ft Black Mountain | 12.2% | −306 ft below 810 ft |
| 27 | Austin, TX | 487 ft 148 m | 436 to 1,079 ft 152 points | 211.1 °F 99.5 °C | 29.40 inHg 996 hPa | 98.3% | 8,749 ft Guadalupe Peak | 5.6% | −1,127 ft below 1,614 ft |
| 28 | Little Rock, AR | 337 ft 103 m | 230 to 723 ft 159 points | 211.4 °F 99.7 °C | 29.56 inHg 1001 hPa | 98.8% | 2,753 ft Magazine Mountain | 12.2% | −200 ft below 537 ft |
| 29 | Harrisburg, PA | 334 ft 102 m | 289 to 497 ft 231 points | 211.4 °F 99.7 °C | 29.56 inHg 1001 hPa | 98.8% | 3,213 ft Mount Davis | 10.4% | −911 ft below 1,245 ft |
| 30 | Raleigh, NC | 315 ft 96 m | 172 to 515 ft 159 points | 211.4 °F 99.7 °C | 29.58 inHg 1002 hPa | 98.9% | 6,682 ft Mount Mitchell | 4.7% | −465 ft below 780 ft |
| 31 | Columbia, SC | 299 ft 91 m | 114 to 503 ft 157 points | 211.5 °F 99.7 °C | 29.60 inHg 1002 hPa | 98.9% | 3,560 ft Sassafras Mountain | 8.4% | −33 ft below 332 ft |
| 32 | Jackson, MS | 279 ft 85 m | 243 to 424 ft 168 points | 211.5 °F 99.7 °C | 29.62 inHg 1003 hPa | 99.0% | 806 ft Woodall Mountain | 34.6% | −12 ft below 291 ft |
| 33 | Concord, NH | 274 ft 84 m | 192 to 786 ft 166 points | 211.5 °F 99.7 °C | 29.63 inHg 1003 hPa | 99.0% | 6,287 ft Mount Washington | 4.4% | −888 ft below 1,162 ft |
| 34 | Montgomery, AL | 238 ft 73 m | 126 to 305 ft 162 points | 211.6 °F 99.8 °C | 29.66 inHg 1005 hPa | 99.1% | 2,407 ft Cheaha Mountain | 9.9% | −227 ft below 465 ft |
| 35 | Richmond, VA | 213 ft 65 m | -226 to 330 ft 162 points | 211.6 °F 99.8 °C | 29.69 inHg 1005 hPa | 99.2% | 5,711 ft Mount Rogers | 3.7% | −823 ft below 1,036 ft |
| 36 | Tallahassee, FL | 204 ft 62 m | 25 to 234 ft 164 points | 211.6 °F 99.8 °C | 29.70 inHg 1006 hPa | 99.3% | 345 ft Britton Hill | 59.1% | +144 ft above 60 ft |
| 37 | Salem, OR | 157 ft 48 m | 113 to 612 ft 161 points | 211.7 °F 99.8 °C | 29.75 inHg 1008 hPa | 99.4% | 11,247 ft Mount Hood | 1.4% | −3,333 ft below 3,490 ft |
| 38 | Albany, NY | 143 ft 44 m | 4 to 421 ft 164 points | 211.7 °F 99.9 °C | 29.77 inHg 1008 hPa | 99.5% | 5,343 ft Mount Marcy | 2.7% | −965 ft below 1,108 ft |
| 39 | Augusta, ME | 123 ft 38 m | 3 to 422 ft 165 points | 211.8 °F 99.9 °C | 29.79 inHg 1009 hPa | 99.6% | 5,268 ft Mount Katahdin | 2.3% | −621 ft below 744 ft |
| 40 | Olympia, WA | 96 ft 29 m | -3 to 322 ft 171 points | 211.8 °F 99.9 °C | 29.82 inHg 1010 hPa | 99.7% | 14,410 ft Mount Rainier | 0.7% | −2,188 ft below 2,284 ft |
| 41 | Trenton, NJ | 61 ft 18 m | 1 to 135 ft 170 points | 211.9 °F 99.9 °C | 29.86 inHg 1011 hPa | 99.8% | 1,803 ft High Point | 3.4% | −157 ft below 218 ft |
| 42 | Hartford, CT | 51 ft 15 m | 4 to 281 ft 168 points | 211.9 °F 99.9 °C | 29.87 inHg 1011 hPa | 99.8% | 2,380 ft Mount Frissel on south slope at State line | 2.1% | −402 ft below 453 ft |
| 43 | Boston, MA | 48 ft 15 m | -11 to 241 ft 166 points | 211.9 °F 99.9 °C | 29.87 inHg 1011 hPa | 99.8% | 3,491 ft Mount Greylock | 1.4% | −463 ft below 511 ft |
| 44 | Baton Rouge, LA | 46 ft 14 m | 7 to 74 ft 160 points | 211.9 °F 100.0 °C | 29.87 inHg 1012 hPa | 99.8% | 535 ft Driskill Mountain | 8.6% | −48 ft below 94 ft |
| 45 | Annapolis, MD | 44 ft 14 m | 0 to 85 ft 169 points | 211.9 °F 100.0 °C | 29.87 inHg 1012 hPa | 99.8% | 3,360 ft Hoye Crest | 1.3% | −381 ft below 425 ft |
| 46 | Juneau, AK | 34 ft 10 m | 0 to 5,733 ft 157 points | 211.9 °F 100.0 °C | 29.88 inHg 1012 hPa | 99.9% | 20,310 ft Mount McKinley | 0.2% | −1,455 ft below 1,489 ft |
| 47 | Dover, DE | 29 ft 9 m | 3 to 55 ft 165 points | 211.9 °F 100.0 °C | 29.89 inHg 1012 hPa | 99.9% | 448 ft On Ebright Road at Delaware-Pennsylvania State line | 6.5% | −16 ft below 45 ft |
| 48 | Sacramento, CA | 27 ft 8 m | 1 to 62 ft 160 points | 211.9 °F 100.0 °C | 29.89 inHg 1012 hPa | 99.9% | 14,505 ft Mount Whitney | 0.2% | −2,802 ft below 2,829 ft |
| 49 | Honolulu, HI | 19 ft 6 m | 0 to 2,882 ft 170 points | 212.0 °F 100.0 °C | 29.90 inHg 1013 hPa | 99.9% | 13,796 ft Pu'u Wēkiu, Mauna Kea | 0.1% | −2,909 ft below 2,928 ft |
| 50 | Providence, RI | 9 ft 3 m | -2 to 194 ft 171 points | 212.0 °F 100.0 °C | 29.91 inHg 1013 hPa | 100.0% | 812 ft Jerimoth Hill | 1.1% | −226 ft below 235 ft |
Key findings
- 1
Santa Fe is the highest capital, above the top of 35 states
Downtown Santa Fe is 6,997 ft (2,133 m) above sea level, ahead of Cheyenne at 6,091 ft and Denver at 5,276 ft. That is higher than the highest point in 35 states, from Florida's Britton Hill (345 ft) up to North Carolina's Mount Mitchell (6,682 ft). Water boils there at about 199.3 °F, and each breath holds about 77% of the oxygen it would at sea level.
- 2
Most capitals are low: 11 sit under 100 ft
Providence, RI, is the lowest at 9 ft downtown, followed by Honolulu (19 ft) and Sacramento (27 ft). Eleven capitals are under 100 ft and 37 of 50 are under 1,000 ft; the median capital sits at 513 ft.
- 3
Only three capitals sit above their state's average elevation
Compared with a sampled average elevation for each state, Santa Fe (+1,226 ft), Atlanta (+542 ft) and Tallahassee (+144 ft) are the only capitals above it. Indianapolis, Springfield, Jackson and Dover are within 30 ft below, close enough that a different sample could put them above. Denver, at 5,276 ft, is 1,672 ft below Colorado's average of 6,948 ft. The largest shortfall is Salem, 3,333 ft below Oregon's average.
- 4
Tallahassee sits closest to its state's summit
Tallahassee is at 204 ft, 59.1% of the height of Britton Hill (345 ft), only 141 ft lower. Indianapolis is next at 58.1% of Hoosier Hill. At the other end, Honolulu (0.1%), Juneau (0.2%) and Sacramento (0.2%) sit below half a percent of their state's high point.
- 5
Juneau has the biggest gap to its state's high point
Downtown Juneau is 20,276 ft below Mount McKinley (Denali), which rises to 20,310 ft. Sacramento is 14,478 ft below Mount Whitney and Olympia 14,314 ft below Mount Rainier.
- 6
Juneau's city limits span 5,733 ft
Sampled inside the city limits, Juneau runs from 0 ft to 5,733 ft: the City and Borough of Juneau takes in mountains well inland of downtown. Salt Lake City (4,214 to 9,070 ft) and Carson City (4,566 to 8,914 ft) follow. Dover is the flattest, from 3 to 55 ft.
- 7
Water boils 12.7 °F cooler in Santa Fe than in Providence
Standard-atmosphere air pressure falls from 29.91 inHg downtown Providence to 23.09 inHg in Santa Fe, so water boils at about 212.0 °F in the first and 199.3 °F in the second. USDA treats 3,000 ft and up as high altitude for cooking; six capitals are that high.
Oxygen and boiling-point figures are general information from the standard atmosphere, not medical or food-safety advice. For altitude illness see the CDC Yellow Book; for cooking and canning at altitude, USDA.
Methodology
Which city and which point
The capital of each state comes from Wikidata and is matched to its U.S. Census place. "Downtown" is the city-center coordinate the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) gives for the populated place. For Honolulu that is the Census designated place "Urban Honolulu", for Nashville the consolidated Nashville-Davidson government, and for Juneau the City and Borough of Juneau.
Downtown elevation
The ground elevation at that point from the USGS Elevation Point Query Service, which reads the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth model, in feet above the NAVD 88 datum (sea level in practice). USGS reports an overall vertical accuracy of about 0.53 m (1.7 ft) for 3DEP. Rank 1 is the highest; equal values would share a rank.
Range inside city limits
USGS 3DEP elevations at the city center plus a regular grid inside the 2024 Census boundary of each city: 152 to 231 points per capital, spaced to suit the city's size. The table reports the lowest and highest sampled values and the number of points. A grid can miss the true highest and lowest spots, so these are sampled values, not surveyed extremes.
State comparisons
Each state's highest point is its published figure: from the USGS table Elevations and Distances in the United States for 37 states, a NOAA National Geodetic Survey datasheet for 11, and the National Park Service (Mount Rainier) and a USGS release (Denali) for the other two; each is linked in the table. The state average is our own estimate: the mean of USGS 3DEP elevations at 208 to 249 points on a regular grid inside the state boundary, spaced to suit the state's size. "Capital as % of state high point" is downtown elevation divided by the high point; "vs state mean" is downtown minus that average.
Boiling point, air pressure and oxygen
Air pressure at the downtown elevation from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere (1976); the boiling point of water at that pressure from the Antoine equation; oxygen per breath as that pressure divided by sea-level pressure (air is 20.9% oxygen at every height). These are standard-day values; real pressure moves with the weather by a few percent.
Limitations
- A capital's elevation depends on the point chosen. Figures published elsewhere often use a different spot (a capitol building, an airport or a survey mark), so they can differ from the downtown values here.
- The state averages are sampled estimates. Capitals within about 30 ft of their state's average could fall on either side with a different sample.
- Grid samples can land on unusual ground. Richmond's lowest sample, −226 ft, falls in a quarry mapped in OpenStreetMap, and Boston's, −11 ft, beside the below-grade rail tracks at Ruggles station; neither is used in the findings.
- Bare-earth data leaves out buildings and bridges, and summits read slightly low in elevation models; state high points use published survey figures for that reason.
- State high points keep the datum their source used (NGVD 29 in the USGS table, NAVD 88 on NGS datasheets); the two differ by up to about 5 ft in the contiguous US, small next to the gaps compared here.
Download the data
The full dataset, one row per capital with every column above plus coordinates, state lowest points and each capital's source page:
License: CC BY 4.0. Free to use, share and adapt, including commercially, with credit to MyCurrentElevation.org and a link to this page. The underlying USGS and Census data are U.S. public domain.
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<p style="font-size:13px">Chart: <a href="https://mycurrentelevation.org/studies/state-capitals-by-elevation/">Every US State Capital Ranked by Elevation</a>, MyCurrentElevation.org (CC BY 4.0)</p>For journalists and teachers
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How to cite
In a news story or caption
Source: MyCurrentElevation.org analysis of USGS 3D Elevation Program data (https://mycurrentelevation.org/studies/state-capitals-by-elevation/)
APA style
Kumar, A. (2026, November 11). Every US State Capital Ranked by Elevation. MyCurrentElevation.org. https://mycurrentelevation.org/studies/state-capitals-by-elevation/
Press and data questions
Email support@mycurrentelevation.org for interviews, a custom cut of the data (for example one region), or corrections. Corrections are logged on our corrections page.
Classroom ideas
- Sort the table by "Capital vs state mean elevation" and ask why most capitals sit lower than their state.
- Use the boiling-point column to predict cooking times in Santa Fe and Providence, then check with the boiling point calculator.
- Plot downtown elevation against the state's highest point from the CSV and look for the outliers.