Elevation of Jackson
279ft
above sea level · 85 m
Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and its most populous city, with 141,196 people. Of the 50 state capitals, it’s the 19th lowest.
By the Mapsfera Team
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Place facts
- Coordinates
- 32.30° N · 90.18° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 32° 17′ 56″ N · 90° 11′ 5″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 15S · 765,090 E · 3,577,033 N
- Zone 15 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Central Time
- UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Population (2025)
- 141,196 people
- 112 sq mi of land · 1,264 people/sq mi
- Elevation model
- USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
- Lidar from December 2016: the ground height at the city’s reference point.
Population
Jackson had 141,196 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 8.1% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 153,720. Its 112 sq mi of land work out to 1,264 people/sq mi; the state average is 63 people/sq mi.
It’s the most populous of the 427 places the Census counts in Mississippi (cities, towns and CDPs), and holds 4.8% of the state’s population.
The city spreads across 3 counties. By population: Hinds County (140,700), Madison County (494), and Rankin County (2). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Hinds County.
Compared with other state capitals
Jackson sits at 279 ft (85 m) above sea level. Of the 50 state capitals, the highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft). The average is 1,098 ft: Jackson is 819 ft below it.
The highest point in Mississippi is Woodall Mountain, at 806 ft according to the USGS: 527 ft above Jackson, 205 mi away in a straight line.
- 32 Jackson 279 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 Jackson.
What is the elevation of Jackson?
Jackson is 279 feet (85 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 Jackson?
Latitude 32.29876 and longitude -90.18481, in decimal degrees (32° 17′ 56″ N · 90° 11′ 5″ W). In UTM, zone 15: 765,090 E and 3,577,033 N, on NAD83.
How does Jackson rank among the highest state capitals?
It’s the 19th lowest of the 50 state capitals. The highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft).
What county is Jackson in?
Several: Hinds County, Madison County, and Rankin County. Most of its people live in Hinds County.
Which is higher, Jackson or Baton Rouge?
Jackson. Jackson sits at 279 ft and Baton Rouge at 46 ft: a difference of 233 ft, 140 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