Elevation of Huntsville
639ft
above sea level · 195 m
Huntsville is a city in Alabama with 233,627 people, the most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 100th highest.
By the Mapsfera Team
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Place facts
- Coordinates
- 34.73° N · 86.59° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 34° 43′ 49″ N · 86° 35′ 10″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 16S · 537,892 E · 3,843,221 N
- Zone 16 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Central Time
- UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Population (2025)
- 233,627 people
- 225 sq mi of land · 1,037 people/sq mi
- Elevation model
- USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
- Lidar from June 2025: the ground height at the city’s reference point.
Population
Huntsville had 233,627 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 8.7% more than in April 2020, when it had 214,989. Its 225 sq mi of land work out to 1,037 people/sq mi; the state average is 103 people/sq mi.
It’s the most populous of the 593 places the Census counts in Alabama (cities, towns and CDPs), and holds 4.5% of the state’s population.
The city spreads across 3 counties. By population: Madison County (228,416), Limestone County (5,206), and Morgan County (5). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Madison County.
Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000
Huntsville sits at 639 ft (195 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Huntsville is 223 ft below it.
The state capital, Montgomery, is 164 mi away in a straight line and 401 ft lower than Huntsville.
The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Nashville (Tennessee), 100 mi away in a straight line and 84 ft lower.
Of the 5 cities in Alabama with a page, Huntsville is the highest. The others are Birmingham (609 ft), Montgomery (238 ft), Tuscaloosa (225 ft), and Mobile (9 ft).
The highest point in Alabama is Cheaha Mountain, at 2,407 ft according to the USGS: 1,768 ft above Huntsville, 97 mi away in a straight line.
- 100 Huntsville 639 ft
Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list
Nearest cities with a page
Tools for this place
Frequently asked questions
What people most often ask about the elevation of Huntsville.
What is the elevation of Huntsville?
Huntsville is 639 feet (195 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.
What are the coordinates of Huntsville?
Latitude 34.73037 and longitude -86.58610, in decimal degrees (34° 43′ 49″ N · 86° 35′ 10″ W). In UTM, zone 16: 537,892 E and 3,843,221 N, on NAD83.
How does Huntsville rank among the highest US cities of its size?
It’s the 100th highest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).
What county is Huntsville in?
Several: Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County. Most of its people live in Madison County.
Which is higher, Huntsville or Montgomery?
Huntsville. Huntsville sits at 639 ft and Montgomery at 238 ft: a difference of 401 ft, 164 mi apart in a straight line.
How is elevation measured?
Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.
Sources
- USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
- USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
- TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
- timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
- Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).
Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know