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Elevation

Elevation of Raleigh

315ft

above sea level · 96 m

Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina. Of the 50 state capitals, it’s the 21st lowest. The state’s largest city is Charlotte.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
35.77° N · 78.64° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 35° 46′ 20″ N · 78° 38′ 19″ W
UTM coordinates
17S · 713,456 E · 3,961,243 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Wake County
The city spans 2 counties; its reference point is in this one
State
North Carolina
NC · capital: Raleigh
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
506,306 people
152 sq mi of land · 3,325 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 3 m grid
Data from December 2002: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Raleigh had 506,306 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 8.2% more than in April 2020, when it had 468,102. Its 152 sq mi of land work out to 3,325 people/sq mi; the state average is 230 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 776 places the Census counts in North Carolina (cities, towns and CDPs), after Charlotte (964,784), and holds 4.5% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 2 counties. By population: Wake County (504,646) and Durham County (1,660). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Wake County.

Compared with other state capitals

Raleigh sits at 315 ft (96 m) above sea level. Of the 50 state capitals, the highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft). The average is 1,098 ft: Raleigh is 783 ft below it.

Among the 91 cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 36th lowest.

Of the 5 cities in North Carolina with a page, Raleigh is the lowest. The others are Winston-Salem (911 ft), Greensboro (823 ft), Charlotte (763 ft), and Durham (395 ft).

The highest point in North Carolina is Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 ft according to the USGS: 6,369 ft above Raleigh, 203 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 28 Little Rock 337 ft
  2. 29 Harrisburg 334 ft
  3. 30 Raleigh 315 ft
  4. 31 Columbia 299 ft
  5. 32 Jackson 279 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 Raleigh and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Raleigh with any other point on the map. Map of Wake County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Raleigh 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 North Carolina counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Raleigh.

What is the elevation of Raleigh?

Raleigh is 315 feet (96 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 Raleigh?

Latitude 35.77210 and longitude -78.63862, in decimal degrees (35° 46′ 20″ N · 78° 38′ 19″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 713,456 E and 3,961,243 N, on NAD83.

How does Raleigh rank among the highest state capitals?

It’s the 21st lowest of the 50 state capitals. The highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft).

What county is Raleigh in?

Several: Wake County and Durham County. Most of its people live in Wake County.

Which is higher, Raleigh or Durham?

Durham. Raleigh sits at 315 ft and Durham at 395 ft: a difference of 80 ft, 21 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