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Elevation

Elevation of Ann Arbor

881ft

above sea level · 269 m

Ann Arbor is a city in Michigan with 122,233 people, the 5th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 69th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
42.27° N · 83.73° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 42° 16′ 15″ N · 83° 43′ 35″ W
UTM coordinates
17T · 275,164 E · 4,683,451 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Washtenaw County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Michigan
MI · capital: Lansing
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
122,233 people
28.4 sq mi of land · 4,304 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from March 2017: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Ann Arbor had 122,233 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 1.3% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 123,899. Its 28.4 sq mi of land work out to 4,304 people/sq mi; the state average is 179 people/sq mi.

It’s the 5th most populous of the 745 places the Census counts in Michigan (cities, towns and CDPs), after Detroit (649,095), and holds 1.2% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Washtenaw County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.4 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Ann Arbor sits at 881 ft (269 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: Ann Arbor is 19 ft above it.

The state capital, Lansing, is 53 mi away in a straight line and 28 ft lower than Ann Arbor.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Detroit, 35 mi away in a straight line and 283 ft lower.

Of the 7 cities in Michigan with a page, Ann Arbor is the highest: the highest is Ann Arbor (881 ft) and the lowest is Dearborn (591 ft).

The highest point in Michigan is Mount Arvon, at 1,979 ft according to the USGS: 1,098 ft above Ann Arbor, 379 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 67 Knoxville 899 ft
  2. 68 Thousand Oaks 889 ft
  3. 69 Ann Arbor 881 ft
  4. 70 Des Moines 872 ft
  5. 71 Buckeye 869 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 Ann Arbor and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Ann Arbor with any other point on the map. Map of Washtenaw County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Ann Arbor 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 Michigan counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Ann Arbor.

What is the elevation of Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor is 881 feet (269 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 Ann Arbor?

Latitude 42.27087 and longitude -83.72633, in decimal degrees (42° 16′ 15″ N · 83° 43′ 35″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 275,164 E and 4,683,451 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 69th 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 Ann Arbor in?

Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Which is higher, Ann Arbor or Lansing?

Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor sits at 881 ft and Lansing at 853 ft: a difference of 28 ft, 53 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