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Elevation

Elevation of Rochester, New York

504ft

above sea level · 154 m

Rochester is a city in New York with 206,108 people, the 4th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 120th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
43.15° N · 77.62° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 43° 9′ 17″ N · 77° 36′ 56″ W
UTM coordinates
18T · 287,341 E · 4,781,325 N
Zone 18 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Monroe County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
New York
NY · capital: Albany
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
206,108 people
35.8 sq mi of land · 5,764 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from August 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Rochester had 206,108 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.4% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 211,221. Its 35.8 sq mi of land work out to 5,764 people/sq mi; the state average is 424 people/sq mi.

It’s the 4th most populous of the 1,291 places the Census counts in New York (cities, towns and CDPs), after New York (8,584,629), and holds 1.0% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Monroe County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.0 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Rochester sits at 504 ft (154 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: Rochester is 358 ft below it.

The state capital, Albany, is 198 mi away in a straight line and 361 ft lower than Rochester.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Buffalo, 66 mi away in a straight line and 98 ft higher.

Of the 6 cities in New York with a page, Rochester is the 2nd highest. The others are Buffalo (602 ft), Syracuse (400 ft), Albany (143 ft), Yonkers (85 ft), and New York (35 ft).

The highest point in New York is Mount Marcy, at 5,344 ft according to the USGS: 4,840 ft above Rochester, 196 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 118 Lewisville 520 ft
  2. 119 Grand Prairie 519 ft
  3. 120 Rochester 504 ft
  4. 121 Peoria 502 ft
  5. 122 Mesquite 499 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 Rochester and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Rochester with any other point on the map. Map of Monroe County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Rochester 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 York counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Rochester.

What is the elevation of Rochester?

Rochester is 504 feet (154 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 Rochester?

Latitude 43.15479 and longitude -77.61556, in decimal degrees (43° 9′ 17″ N · 77° 36′ 56″ W). In UTM, zone 18: 287,341 E and 4,781,325 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 120th 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 Rochester in?

Monroe County, New York.

Which is higher, Rochester or Albany?

Rochester. Rochester sits at 504 ft and Albany at 143 ft: a difference of 361 ft, 198 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