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Elevation

Elevation of St. Louis

464ft

above sea level · 141 m

St. Louis is a city in Missouri with 278,144 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 42nd lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
38.63° N · 90.20° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 38° 37′ 38″ N · 90° 11′ 52″ W
UTM coordinates
15S · 743,929 E · 4,279,141 N
Zone 15 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
St. Louis city
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)
278,144 people
61.7 sq mi of land · 4,507 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from January 2017: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

St. Louis had 278,144 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 7.7% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 301,349. Its 61.7 sq mi of land work out to 4,507 people/sq mi; the state average is 91 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 1,081 places the Census counts in Missouri (cities, towns and CDPs), after Kansas City (521,220), and holds 4.4% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within St. Louis city. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 2.6 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

St. Louis sits at 464 ft (141 m) above sea level. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, the highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft). The average is 858 ft: St. Louis is 394 ft below it.

The state capital, Jefferson City, is 107 mi away in a straight line and 166 ft higher than St. Louis.

Of the 3 cities in Missouri with a page, St. Louis is the lowest. The others are Kansas City (898 ft) and Jefferson City (630 ft).

The highest point in Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain, at 1,772 ft according to the USGS: 1,308 ft above St. Louis, 78 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 48 Austin 487 ft
  2. 49 Irving 484 ft
  3. 50 St. Louis 464 ft
  4. 51 Louisville 461 ft
  5. 52 Dallas 428 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 St. Louis and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of St. Louis with any other point on the map. Map of St. Louis city The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in St. Louis 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 St. Louis.

What is the elevation of St. Louis?

St. Louis is 464 feet (141 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 St. Louis?

Latitude 38.62727 and longitude -90.19789, in decimal degrees (38° 37′ 38″ N · 90° 11′ 52″ W). In UTM, zone 15: 743,929 E and 4,279,141 N, on NAD83.

How does St. Louis rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 42nd lowest of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people. The highest is Colorado Springs (6,009 ft) and the lowest is New Orleans (0 ft).

What county is St. Louis in?

St. Louis city, Missouri.

Which is higher, St. Louis or Jefferson City?

Jefferson City. St. Louis sits at 464 ft and Jefferson City at 630 ft: a difference of 166 ft, 107 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