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Elevation

Elevation of Winston-Salem

911ft

above sea level · 278 m

Winston-Salem is a city in North Carolina with 257,271 people, the 5th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 23rd highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
36.10° N · 80.24° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 36° 5′ 59″ N · 80° 14′ 39″ W
UTM coordinates
17S · 568,032 E · 3,995,289 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Forsyth County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
North Carolina
NC · capital: Raleigh
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
257,271 people
134 sq mi of land · 1,924 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from September 2017: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Winston-Salem had 257,271 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 3.1% more than in April 2020, when it had 249,549. Its 134 sq mi of land work out to 1,924 people/sq mi; the state average is 230 people/sq mi.

It’s the 5th most populous of the 776 places the Census counts in North Carolina (cities, towns and CDPs), after Charlotte (964,784), and holds 2.3% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Forsyth County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.9 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Winston-Salem sits at 911 ft (278 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: Winston-Salem is 53 ft above it.

The state capital, Raleigh, is 93 mi away in a straight line and 596 ft lower than Winston-Salem.

Of the 5 cities in North Carolina with a page, Winston-Salem is the highest. The others are Greensboro (823 ft), Charlotte (763 ft), Durham (395 ft), and Raleigh (315 ft).

The highest point in North Carolina is Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 ft according to the USGS: 5,773 ft above Winston-Salem, 115 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 21 Atlanta 1,050 ft
  2. 22 Lexington 968 ft
  3. 23 Winston-Salem 911 ft
  4. 24 Kansas City 898 ft
  5. 25 Madison 875 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 Winston-Salem and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Winston-Salem with any other point on the map. Map of Forsyth County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem.

What is the elevation of Winston-Salem?

Winston-Salem is 911 feet (278 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 Winston-Salem?

Latitude 36.09986 and longitude -80.24422, in decimal degrees (36° 5′ 59″ N · 80° 14′ 39″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 568,032 E and 3,995,289 N, on NAD83.

How does Winston-Salem rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 23rd highest 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 Winston-Salem in?

Forsyth County, North Carolina.

Which is higher, Winston-Salem or Raleigh?

Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem sits at 911 ft and Raleigh at 315 ft: a difference of 596 ft, 93 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