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Elevation

Elevation of St. Petersburg

42ft

above sea level · 13 m

St. Petersburg is a city in Florida with 264,033 people, the 6th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 20th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
27.77° N · 82.68° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 27° 46′ 15″ N · 82° 40′ 45″ W
UTM coordinates
17R · 334,529 E · 3,072,950 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Pinellas County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Florida
FL · capital: Tallahassee
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
264,033 people
61.8 sq mi of land · 4,272 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from March 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

St. Petersburg had 264,033 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.2% more than in April 2020, when it had 258,358. Its 61.8 sq mi of land work out to 4,272 people/sq mi; the state average is 437 people/sq mi.

It’s the 6th most populous of the 956 places the Census counts in Florida (cities, towns and CDPs), after Jacksonville (1,017,689), and holds 1.1% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Pinellas County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 2.2 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

St. Petersburg sits at 42 ft (13 m) above sea level. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, the highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft). The average is 858 ft: St. Petersburg is 816 ft below it.

The state capital, Tallahassee, is 208 mi away in a straight line and 162 ft higher than St. Petersburg.

Of the 26 cities in Florida with a page, St. Petersburg is the 5th highest: the highest is Tallahassee (204 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill, at 345 ft according to the USGS: 303 ft above St. Petersburg, 311 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 70 Boston 48 ft
  2. 71 Oakland 42 ft
  3. 72 St. Petersburg 42 ft
  4. 73 Baltimore 36 ft
  5. 74 Houston 36 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 St. Petersburg and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of St. Petersburg with any other point on the map. Map of Pinellas County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in St. Petersburg and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of Florida counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of St. Petersburg.

What is the elevation of St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is 42 feet (13 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 St. Petersburg?

Latitude 27.77086 and longitude -82.67927, in decimal degrees (27° 46′ 15″ N · 82° 40′ 45″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 334,529 E and 3,072,950 N, on NAD83.

How does St. Petersburg rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 20th lowest of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people. The highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft).

What county is St. Petersburg in?

Pinellas County, Florida.

Which is higher, St. Petersburg or Tallahassee?

Tallahassee. St. Petersburg sits at 42 ft and Tallahassee at 204 ft: a difference of 162 ft, 208 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