Black Mountain elevation
4,145ft
above sea level · 1,263 m
Black Mountain is the highest point in Kentucky and the 27th highest of the 50 state high points. It’s in Harlan County, according to the USGS gazetteer.
By the Mapsfera Team
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Place facts
- Coordinates
- 36.91° N · 82.89° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 36° 54′ 51″ N · 82° 53′ 38″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 17S · 331,302 E · 4,087,035 N
- Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Ground height (3DEP)
- 4,132 ft
- What the USGS model gives at this exact point, on a 1 m grid. The official elevation is 4,145 ft.
Compared with other state high points
At 4,145 ft (1,263 m), Black Mountain is the 27th 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 4,145 ft. The 3DEP elevation model gives 4,132 ft at the gazetteer point: 13 ft less, which is normal on a summit: the model averages the ground in each cell.
Kentucky’s capital, Frankfort, is 140 mi away in a straight line and 3,641 ft lower.
The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Lexington, 114 mi away in a straight line and 3,177 ft lower.
Kentucky’s lowest point is the Mississippi River, at 257 ft: a total relief of 3,888 ft.
- 26 Black Mountain 4,145 ft
Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list
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Frequently asked questions
What people most often ask about the elevation of Black Mountain.
How tall is Black Mountain?
Black Mountain is 4,145 feet (1,263 m) above sea level. That’s the official USGS figure, from its table of state high points.
What are the coordinates of Black Mountain?
Latitude 36.91425 and longitude -82.89377, in decimal degrees (36° 54′ 51″ N · 82° 53′ 38″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 331,302 E and 4,087,035 N, on NAD83.
Is Black Mountain the highest mountain in the US?
No. It’s the 27th highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska, at 20,310 ft.
What county is Black Mountain in?
The summit point falls in Harlan County, Kentucky. The USGS table lists Harlan.
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