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Elevation

Mount Katahdin elevation

5,268ft

above sea level · 1,606 m

Mount Katahdin (Katahdin) is the highest point in Maine and the 22nd highest of the 50 state high points. It’s in Piscataquis County, according to the USGS gazetteer.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
45.90° N · 68.92° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 45° 54′ 15″ N · 68° 55′ 17″ W
UTM coordinates
19T · 506,100 E · 5,083,415 N
Zone 19 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Piscataquis County
Where the summit point falls
State
Maine
ME · capital: Augusta
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Ground height (3DEP)
5,255 ft
What the USGS model gives at this exact point, on a 1 m grid. The official elevation is 5,268 ft.

Compared with other state high points

At 5,268 ft (1,606 m), Mount Katahdin is the 22nd 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 5,268 ft. The 3DEP elevation model gives 5,255 ft at the gazetteer point: 13 ft less, which is normal on a summit: the model averages the ground in each cell.

Maine’s capital, Augusta, is 118 mi away in a straight line and 5,145 ft lower.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Boston (MA), 267 mi away in a straight line and 5,220 ft lower.

Maine’s lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean, at sea level: a total relief of 5,268 ft.

  1. 20 Panorama Point 5,424 ft
  2. 21 Mount Marcy 5,344 ft
  3. 22 Mount Katahdin 5,268 ft
  4. 23 Spruce Knob 4,863 ft
  5. 24 Brasstown Bald 4,784 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

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Mount Katahdin.

How tall is Mount Katahdin?

Mount Katahdin is 5,268 feet (1,606 m) above sea level. That’s the official USGS figure, from its table of state high points.

What are the coordinates of Mount Katahdin?

Latitude 45.90428 and longitude -68.92136, in decimal degrees (45° 54′ 15″ N · 68° 55′ 17″ W). In UTM, zone 19: 506,100 E and 5,083,415 N, on NAD83.

Is Mount Katahdin the highest mountain in the US?

No. It’s the 22nd highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska, at 20,310 ft.

What county is Mount Katahdin in?

The summit point falls in Piscataquis County, Maine. The USGS table lists Piscataquis.

Does Mount Katahdin have other names?

Yes: “Katahdin”. The USGS gazetteer calls it Mount Katahdin; in Maine it’s mostly just Katahdin.

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