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Elevation

Elevation of Columbia, Missouri

707ft

above sea level · 215 m

Columbia is a city in Missouri with 130,851 people, the 4th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 89th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
38.95° N · 92.33° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 38° 57′ 6″ N · 92° 20′ 3″ W
UTM coordinates
15S · 557,703 E · 4,311,628 N
Zone 15 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Boone County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Missouri
MO · capital: Jefferson City
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
130,851 people
67.8 sq mi of land · 1,929 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from November 2014: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Columbia had 130,851 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 3.8% more than in April 2020, when it had 126,048. Its 67.8 sq mi of land work out to 1,929 people/sq mi; the state average is 91 people/sq mi.

It’s the 4th most populous of the 1,081 places the Census counts in Missouri (cities, towns and CDPs), after Kansas City (521,220), and holds 2.1% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Boone County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.5 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Columbia sits at 707 ft (215 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: Columbia is 155 ft below it.

The state capital, Jefferson City, is 27 mi away in a straight line and 77 ft lower than Columbia.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is St. Louis, 117 mi away in a straight line and 243 ft lower.

Of the 7 cities in Missouri with a page, Columbia is the 3rd lowest: the highest is Springfield (1,303 ft) and the lowest is St. Louis (464 ft).

The highest point in Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain, at 1,772 ft according to the USGS: 1,065 ft above Columbia, 129 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 87 Rockford 717 ft
  2. 88 Naperville 709 ft
  3. 89 Columbia 707 ft
  4. 90 Concord 706 ft
  5. 91 Frisco 697 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 Columbia and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Columbia with any other point on the map. Map of Boone County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Columbia 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 Missouri counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Columbia.

What is the elevation of Columbia?

Columbia is 707 feet (215 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 Columbia?

Latitude 38.95171 and longitude -92.33407, in decimal degrees (38° 57′ 6″ N · 92° 20′ 3″ W). In UTM, zone 15: 557,703 E and 4,311,628 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 89th 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 Columbia in?

Boone County, Missouri.

Which is higher, Columbia or Jefferson City?

Columbia. Columbia sits at 707 ft and Jefferson City at 630 ft: a difference of 77 ft, 27 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