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Elevation

Mount Whitney elevation

14,494ft

above sea level · 4,418 m

Mount Whitney is the highest point in California and the 2nd highest of the 50 state high points. It’s in Tulare County, according to the USGS gazetteer.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
36.58° N · 118.29° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 36° 34′ 43″ N · 118° 17′ 33″ W
UTM coordinates
11S · 384,371 E · 4,048,901 N
Zone 11 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Tulare County
Where the summit point falls
State
California
CA · capital: Sacramento
Time zone
Pacific Time
UTC−8 · UTC−7 in summer (daylight saving time)
Ground height (3DEP)
14,487 ft
What the USGS model gives at this exact point, on a 1 m grid. The official elevation is 14,494 ft.

Compared with other state high points

At 14,494 ft (4,418 m), Mount Whitney is the 2nd highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska (20,310 ft), and the lowest is Britton Hill, in Florida (345 ft).

The USGS table “Elevations and Distances in the United States” gives it 14,494 ft, a figure from the National Geodetic Survey. The 3DEP elevation model gives 14,487 ft at the gazetteer point: 7 ft less.

California’s capital, Sacramento, is 223 mi away in a straight line and 14,467 ft lower.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Fresno, 83 mi away in a straight line and 14,182 ft lower.

California’s lowest point is Death Valley, at -282 ft: a total relief of 14,776 ft.

  1. 1 Denali 20,310 ft
  2. 2 Mount Whitney 14,494 ft
  3. 3 Mount Elbert 14,433 ft
  4. 4 Mount Rainier 14,411 ft
  5. 5 Gannett Peak 13,804 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

Elevation profile Draw a route from Mount Whitney and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Mount Whitney with any other point on the map. Map of Tulare County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Mount Whitney and its clock changes. GPX route profile Upload the GPX of a hike up Mount Whitney and see its elevation gain. Blank map of California counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Mount Whitney.

How tall is Mount Whitney?

Mount Whitney is 14,494 feet (4,418 m) above sea level. That’s the official USGS figure, from its table of state high points.

What are the coordinates of Mount Whitney?

Latitude 36.57857 and longitude -118.29242, in decimal degrees (36° 34′ 43″ N · 118° 17′ 33″ W). In UTM, zone 11: 384,371 E and 4,048,901 N, on NAD83.

Is Mount Whitney the highest mountain in the US?

No. It’s the 2nd highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska, at 20,310 ft.

What county is Mount Whitney in?

The summit point falls in Tulare County, California. The USGS table lists Inyo and Tulare.

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, “Elevations and Distances in the United States” The official elevation of the summit. Public domain.
  • USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The ground height at the summit point, to check the figure. Public domain.
  • USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The position and official name of the summit. 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