How to find your current elevation
Press “Find my elevation” and allow location access. Your browser supplies a latitude and longitude, and the tool looks up the terrain height at that point. Both feet and meters appear together. You can change the larger unit without making another lookup. If location access is blocked, search for a place or enter decimal coordinates such as 39.7392, -104.9903.
A place search returns named locations, not your physical position. Choose the matching result, then move the pin if you need a particular entrance, hillside, or street. An example point is labeled as an example. This page does not use your IP address to guess a precise elevation.
What does my elevation mean?
Elevation describes how high a point on the land is relative to a sea-level reference. A negative number means the terrain is below that reference. It does not mean the place is underwater: some dry basins and reclaimed areas lie below sea level. Conversely, a point selected on the ocean may return seafloor height from this dataset, not the height of the water surface.
The main result is an estimate of the ground at the selected coordinates. It cannot tell which floor of a building you are on or your altitude in an aircraft. The optional device reading is a separate measurement, shown only when your browser supplies it.
How accurate is this elevation finder?
There are two separate sources of uncertainty: where your device thinks you are and how well the terrain dataset represents that place. A browser accuracy radius of 100 meters could cover both a valley and a hillside. It is a horizontal position estimate, not an elevation error of ±100 meters.
We decode the nearest pixel in a zoom-14 Mapzen Terrain Tile. The displayed sample spacing is the ground distance between tile pixels at that latitude. It is about 10 meters at the equator and becomes smaller toward the poles. This is sampling spacing, not a guarantee of equally detailed source data or vertical accuracy. The tiles combine regional surveys and broader elevation models with different dates, resolutions, and height references. Fine terrain, vegetation, buildings, coastlines, and later excavation can affect a reading.
Results are rounded to whole feet and meters to avoid implying survey precision. We do not invent an elevation accuracy range that the data cannot support. Coverage in this tool stops at approximately 85.05° north and south because of the map projection. For a surveyed property height, flood assessment, or aviation use, obtain the appropriate official measurements.
Why is GPS altitude different from ground elevation?
The browser geolocation specification defines altitude relative to the WGS84 ellipsoid, a mathematical reference surface. Terrain datasets commonly use sea-level-related height references instead. The surfaces do not coincide. Sensor uncertainty and your position above the terrain can add further differences.
That is why this tool labels device altitude separately and does not subtract it from the terrain reading to claim your height above ground. A browser may provide coordinates but no altitude at all. The ground lookup still works. The page requests a single device reading each time you press the location button; it does not continuously track you.
Compare elevations without confusing height and climbing
Select a point, choose “Compare another point,” and then select a second location. The comparison reports the height difference and direct distance. “Show terrain between these points” adds 41 equally spaced samples along the short great-circle path. Use the slider or the sample table to inspect them, or download the values as a CSV.
The endpoint difference is not cumulative climbing. Two points at the same elevation may have a ridge between them, and 41 samples can miss a narrow peak or depression. The profile describes a cross-section of the terrain, not a walkable route, and does not calculate a trail’s ascent or safety.
Common questions
What’s my elevation right now if location permission is denied?
You can search for an address or place, enter latitude and longitude separated by a comma, or select a point on the map. Check the selected point yourself: without device permission, the tool does not know whether you are standing there. To retry device location, change this site’s location permission in your browser and operating-system settings.
Why does my elevation change when I refresh?
The reported coordinates can move between readings. On a slope, even a small shift can select a different terrain pixel. The terrain model is not measuring the ground in real time; a new lookup reads the model at the new coordinates. Look at the position accuracy and map pin before comparing results.
Can I check my elevation on a phone or computer?
Yes, provided your browser supports the required features and you have an internet connection for the terrain tiles. A computer can return a broad location even when permission is allowed. Place search, coordinate entry, and the map let you correct the selected point.
Can I share or save an elevation?
“Copy result” copies the point, estimated elevation, source, and lookup time. “Copy point link” creates a link containing the selected coordinates, so only share it if you want the recipient to see that place. CSV downloads contain recent points or profile samples. Nothing is automatically saved to a location history on our server.
Does this work offline?
A new terrain lookup or place search needs an internet connection. Already loaded results remain visible while this tab stays open, but this is not an offline navigation tool. If a provider cannot respond, the page says so instead of returning zero or inventing a reading.
Data sources and credits
Elevation tiles are distributed through the AWS Open Data terrain collection. We decode their Terrarium format locally and convert meters to feet using 1 foot = 0.3048 meters. Photon by komoot provides submitted place searches using OpenStreetMap data. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the ODbL.
Terrain dataset attribution
The terrain collection combines sources described in the Tilezen source documentation. The result and profile are samples derived from those tiles; the original providers have not endorsed this tool.
- ArcticDEM terrain data: DEM(s) were created from DigitalGlobe, Inc., imagery and funded under National Science Foundation awards 1043681, 1559691, and 1542736.
- Australia terrain data © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 2017.
- Austria terrain data © offene Daten Österreichs – Digitales Geländemodell (DGM) Österreich.
- Canada terrain data contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- Europe terrain data produced using Copernicus data and information funded by the European Union – EU-DEM layers.
- Global ETOPO1 terrain data: DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI, National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Mexico terrain data source: INEGI, Continental relief, 2016.
- New Zealand terrain data Copyright 2011 Crown copyright (c) Land Information New Zealand and the New Zealand Government. All rights reserved.
- Norway terrain data © Kartverket.
- United Kingdom terrain data © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.
- United States 3DEP and global GMTED2010 and SRTM terrain data courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.