What is this?

This platform was created to assist you in discovering the height above sea level of your current location or any point on Earth.

If accessed from a phone equipped with altitude readings, the data will be derived directly from your device’s altitude reading, updating automatically as you move, even when offline. When accessed from a computer, your elevation is loaded from our API based on your location.

What is elevation?

Elevation is the measurement of height above sea level, typically denoting the height of a point on the Earth’s surface, not in the air. Altitude, on the other hand, measures an object’s height, often in reference to its height above the ground (e.g., in an airplane or satellite).

While elevation is commonly used for the height of your current location, altitude and height above sea level are also frequently employed terms.

How is elevation calculated?

Using an Altimeter

An altimeter, an instrument for measuring altitude, calculates differences in atmospheric pressure. Within the altimeter is a barometer, which measures air pressure.

As you ascend, decreasing pressure causes the barometer’s bellows to expand, providing an accurate reading of your height above sea level, whether you’re on the ground, in a tree, or in an airplane.

Modern smartphones with built-in barometers can function as altimeters, offering elevation readings or calculating the number of steps climbed, particularly in areas with poor GPS reception.

Using a Digital Elevation Model

Satellite data from NASA and other agencies can be combined to create a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), a detailed list of elevation values for Earth’s surface points.

GPS can then fetch elevation readings from the DEM. The Earth’s surface is not a perfect sphere, and the DEM accounts for its corrugations, ruggedness, and irregularities.

The geoid, a hypothetical shape representing the Earth’s surface without external forces like winds and tides, is used as a reference for land surveyors to determine elevation based on the sea level’s hypothetical position. This is known as “height above mean sea level.”

Finding Your Current Elevation

This website utilizes GPS data from your phone to determine your elevation. Satellite signals, measured in relation to each other and the speed of light, allow for an accurate three-dimensional position, providing your Earth position with high accuracy.

Enter any address worldwide, and the site will provide its elevation in either feet or meters.

Web vs Phone Elevation

On mobile devices with built-in altimeters, your phone’s altitude reading determines elevation by default, providing real-time updates as you move.

This method may be less precise but allows for offline use. On desktop computers or when searching for an address, elevation is determined by GPS coordinates based on satellite data.

Elevation Atlas

Our elevation atlas features a list of countries and cities, aiding you in finding the elevation of any location worldwide.

Utilize the search bar to find elevation information for any location globally.