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Elevation

Elevation of Elgin

740ft

above sea level · 226 m

Elgin is a city in Illinois with 115,476 people, the 6th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 84th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
42.04° N · 88.28° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 42° 2′ 14″ N · 88° 16′ 52″ W
UTM coordinates
16T · 393,956 E · 4,654,706 N
Zone 16 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Kane County
The city spans 2 counties; its reference point is in this one
State
Illinois
IL · capital: Springfield
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
115,476 people
38.2 sq mi of land · 3,019 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from February 2026: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Elgin had 115,476 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 0.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 114,819. Its 38.2 sq mi of land work out to 3,019 people/sq mi; the state average is 229 people/sq mi.

It’s the 6th most populous of the 1,461 places the Census counts in Illinois (cities, towns and CDPs), after Chicago (2,731,585), and holds 0.9% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 2 counties. By population: Kane County (90,821) and Cook County (24,655). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Kane County.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Elgin sits at 740 ft (226 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: Elgin is 122 ft below it.

The state capital, Springfield, is 170 mi away in a straight line and 140 ft lower than Elgin.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Chicago, 35 mi away in a straight line and 152 ft lower.

Of the 8 cities in Illinois with a page, Elgin is the highest: the highest is Elgin (740 ft) and the lowest is Peoria (502 ft).

The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound, at 1,235 ft according to the USGS: 495 ft above Elgin, 105 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 83 Athens 753 ft
  2. 84 Dayton 740 ft
  3. 85 Elgin 740 ft
  4. 86 Round Rock 732 ft
  5. 87 Rockford 717 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 Elgin and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Elgin with any other point on the map. Map of Kane County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Elgin 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 Illinois counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Elgin.

What is the elevation of Elgin?

Elgin is 740 feet (226 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 Elgin?

Latitude 42.03725 and longitude -88.28119, in decimal degrees (42° 2′ 14″ N · 88° 16′ 52″ W). In UTM, zone 16: 393,956 E and 4,654,706 N, on NAD83.

How does Elgin rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 84th 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 Elgin in?

Several: Kane County and Cook County. Most of its people live in Kane County.

Which is higher, Elgin or Springfield?

Elgin. Elgin sits at 740 ft and Springfield at 600 ft: a difference of 140 ft, 170 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