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Elevation

Elevation of Olathe

1,035ft

above sea level · 315 m

Olathe is a city in Kansas with 150,025 people, the 4th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 54th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
38.88° N · 94.82° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 38° 52′ 53″ N · 94° 49′ 9″ W
UTM coordinates
15S · 342,210 E · 4,305,188 N
Zone 15 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Johnson County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Kansas
KS · capital: Topeka
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
150,025 people
64.7 sq mi of land · 2,320 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from June 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Olathe had 150,025 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 6.2% more than in April 2020, when it had 141,291. Its 64.7 sq mi of land work out to 2,320 people/sq mi; the state average is 36 people/sq mi.

It’s the 4th most populous of the 740 places the Census counts in Kansas (cities, towns and CDPs), after Wichita (400,987), and holds 5.0% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Johnson County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.1 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Olathe sits at 1,035 ft (315 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: Olathe is 173 ft above it.

The state capital, Topeka, is 48 mi away in a straight line and 87 ft lower than Olathe.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Kansas City (Missouri), 20 mi away in a straight line and 137 ft lower.

Of the 5 cities in Kansas with a page, Olathe is the 3rd highest. The others are Wichita (1,303 ft), Overland Park (1,085 ft), Topeka (948 ft), and Kansas City (860 ft).

The highest point in Kansas is Mount Sunflower, at 4,039 ft according to the USGS: 3,004 ft above Olathe, 388 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 53 Lee's Summit 1,039 ft
  2. 54 Independence 1,035 ft
  3. 55 Olathe 1,035 ft
  4. 56 Rochester 1,024 ft
  5. 57 South Fulton 1,016 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 Olathe and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Olathe with any other point on the map. Map of Johnson County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Olathe 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 Kansas counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Olathe.

What is the elevation of Olathe?

Olathe is 1,035 feet (315 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 Olathe?

Latitude 38.88140 and longitude -94.81913, in decimal degrees (38° 52′ 53″ N · 94° 49′ 9″ W). In UTM, zone 15: 342,210 E and 4,305,188 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 54th 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 Olathe in?

Johnson County, Kansas.

Which is higher, Olathe or Topeka?

Olathe. Olathe sits at 1,035 ft and Topeka at 948 ft: a difference of 87 ft, 48 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