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Elevation

Elevation of Syracuse

400ft

above sea level · 122 m

Syracuse is a city in New York with 144,896 people, the 5th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 120th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
43.05° N · 76.15° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 43° 2′ 53″ N · 76° 8′ 51″ W
UTM coordinates
18T · 406,548 E · 4,766,797 N
Zone 18 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Onondaga 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)
144,896 people
25.1 sq mi of land · 5,782 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from August 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Syracuse had 144,896 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.5% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 148,602. Its 25.1 sq mi of land work out to 5,782 people/sq mi; the state average is 424 people/sq mi.

It’s the 5th 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 0.7% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Onondaga 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

Syracuse sits at 400 ft (122 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: Syracuse is 462 ft below it.

The state capital, Albany, is 124 mi away in a straight line and 257 ft lower than Syracuse.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Buffalo, 139 mi away in a straight line and 202 ft higher.

Of the 6 cities in New York with a page, Syracuse is the 3rd highest. The others are Buffalo (602 ft), Rochester (504 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: 4,944 ft above Syracuse, 133 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 128 Eugene 430 ft
  2. 129 Daly City 407 ft
  3. 130 Syracuse 400 ft
  4. 131 West Covina 385 ft
  5. 132 Evansville 383 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 Syracuse and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Syracuse with any other point on the map. Map of Onondaga County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Syracuse 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.

Step-by-step guide How to find the elevation of any place

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Syracuse.

What is the elevation of Syracuse?

Syracuse is 400 feet (122 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 Syracuse?

Latitude 43.04812 and longitude -76.14742, in decimal degrees (43° 2′ 53″ N · 76° 8′ 51″ W). In UTM, zone 18: 406,548 E and 4,766,797 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 120th lowest 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 Syracuse in?

Onondaga County, New York.

Which is higher, Syracuse or Albany?

Syracuse. Syracuse sits at 400 ft and Albany at 143 ft: a difference of 257 ft, 124 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