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Elevation

Elevation of Las Cruces

3,910ft

above sea level · 1,192 m

Las Cruces is a city in New Mexico with 116,978 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 16th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
32.31° N · 106.78° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 32° 18′ 44″ N · 106° 46′ 42″ W
UTM coordinates
13S · 332,587 E · 3,576,443 N
Zone 13 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Doña Ana County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
New Mexico
NM · capital: Santa Fe
Time zone
Mountain Time
UTC−7 · UTC−6 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
116,978 people
76.9 sq mi of land · 1,521 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from May 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Las Cruces had 116,978 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 5.0% more than in April 2020, when it had 111,397. Its 76.9 sq mi of land work out to 1,521 people/sq mi; the state average is 18 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 528 places the Census counts in New Mexico (cities, towns and CDPs), after Albuquerque (556,588), and holds 5.5% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Doña Ana County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.2 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Las Cruces sits at 3,910 ft (1,192 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: Las Cruces is 3,048 ft above it.

The state capital, Santa Fe, is 238 mi away in a straight line and 3,087 ft higher than Las Cruces.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is El Paso (Texas), 42 mi away in a straight line and 197 ft lower.

Of the 4 cities in New Mexico with a page, Las Cruces is the lowest. The others are Santa Fe (6,997 ft), Rio Rancho (5,277 ft), and Albuquerque (4,955 ft).

The highest point in New Mexico is Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 ft according to the USGS: 9,251 ft above Las Cruces, 303 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 14 West Valley City 4,306 ft
  2. 15 Salt Lake City 4,264 ft
  3. 16 Las Cruces 3,910 ft
  4. 17 Amarillo 3,670 ft
  5. 18 Bend 3,625 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 Las Cruces and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Las Cruces with any other point on the map. Map of Doña Ana County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Las Cruces 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 New Mexico counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Las Cruces.

What is the elevation of Las Cruces?

Las Cruces is 3,910 feet (1,192 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 Las Cruces?

Latitude 32.31232 and longitude -106.77834, in decimal degrees (32° 18′ 44″ N · 106° 46′ 42″ W). In UTM, zone 13: 332,587 E and 3,576,443 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 16th 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 Las Cruces in?

Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

Which is higher, Las Cruces or Santa Fe?

Santa Fe. Las Cruces sits at 3,910 ft and Santa Fe at 6,997 ft: a difference of 3,087 ft, 238 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