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Elevation

Mauna Kea elevation

13,796ft

above sea level · 4,205 m

Mauna Kea (Puʻu Wēkiu) is the highest point in Hawaii and the 6th highest of the 50 state high points. It’s in Hawaii County, according to the USGS gazetteer.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
19.82° N · 155.47° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 19° 49′ 14″ N · 155° 28′ 5″ W
UTM coordinates
5Q · 241,473 E · 2,193,510 N
Zone 5 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Hawaii County
Where the summit point falls
State
Hawaii
HI · capital: Honolulu
Time zone
Hawaii-Aleutian Time
UTC−10 all year: no daylight saving time
Ground height (3DEP)
13,798 ft
What the USGS model gives at this exact point, on a 1 m grid. The official elevation is 13,796 ft.

Compared with other state high points

At 13,796 ft (4,205 m), Mauna Kea is the 6th 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 13,796 ft. The 3DEP elevation model gives 13,798 ft at the gazetteer point: 2 ft more.

Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, is 186 mi away in a straight line and 13,777 ft lower.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is San Francisco (CA), 2,335 mi away in a straight line and 13,741 ft lower.

Hawaii’s lowest point is the Pacific Ocean, at sea level: a total relief of 13,796 ft.

  1. 4 Mount Rainier 14,411 ft
  2. 5 Gannett Peak 13,804 ft
  3. 6 Mauna Kea 13,796 ft
  4. 7 Kings Peak 13,528 ft
  5. 8 Wheeler Peak 13,161 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 Mauna Kea and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Mauna Kea with any other point on the map. Map of Hawaii County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Mauna Kea and its clock changes. GPX route profile Upload the GPX of a hike up Mauna Kea and see its elevation gain. Blank map of Hawaii counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Mauna Kea.

How tall is Mauna Kea?

Mauna Kea is 13,796 feet (4,205 m) above sea level. That’s the official USGS figure, from its table of state high points.

What are the coordinates of Mauna Kea?

Latitude 19.82053 and longitude -155.46807, in decimal degrees (19° 49′ 14″ N · 155° 28′ 5″ W). In UTM, zone 5: 241,473 E and 2,193,510 N, on NAD83.

Is Mauna Kea the highest mountain in the US?

No. It’s the 6th highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska, at 20,310 ft.

What county is Mauna Kea in?

The summit point falls in Hawaii County, Hawaii. The USGS table lists Hawaii.

Does Mauna Kea have other names?

Yes: “Puʻu Wēkiu”. Puʻu Wēkiu is the summit cone of Mauna Kea.

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