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Elevation

Elevation of Cincinnati

552ft

above sea level · 168 m

Cincinnati is a city in Ohio with 314,367 people, the 3rd most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 45th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
39.10° N · 84.52° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 39° 6′ 12″ N · 84° 30′ 55″ W
UTM coordinates
16S · 714,857 E · 4,331,197 N
Zone 16 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Hamilton County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Ohio
OH · capital: Columbus
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
314,367 people
77.9 sq mi of land · 4,035 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from December 2022: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Cincinnati had 314,367 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 1.5% more than in April 2020, when it had 309,589. Its 77.9 sq mi of land work out to 4,035 people/sq mi; the state average is 291 people/sq mi.

It’s the 3rd most populous of the 1,265 places the Census counts in Ohio (cities, towns and CDPs), after Columbus (938,396), and holds 2.6% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Hamilton County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 2.6 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Cincinnati sits at 552 ft (168 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: Cincinnati is 306 ft below it.

The state capital, Columbus, is 100 mi away in a straight line and 228 ft higher than Cincinnati.

Of the 6 cities in Ohio with a page, Cincinnati is the lowest. The others are Akron (960 ft), Columbus (780 ft), Dayton (740 ft), Cleveland (654 ft), and Toledo (611 ft).

The highest point in Ohio is Campbell Hill, at 1,550 ft according to the USGS: 998 ft above Cincinnati, 97 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 45 Chicago 588 ft
  2. 46 Nashville 555 ft
  3. 47 Cincinnati 552 ft
  4. 48 Austin 487 ft
  5. 49 Irving 484 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 Cincinnati and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Cincinnati with any other point on the map. Map of Hamilton County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Cincinnati 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 Ohio counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Cincinnati.

What is the elevation of Cincinnati?

Cincinnati is 552 feet (168 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 Cincinnati?

Latitude 39.10346 and longitude -84.51527, in decimal degrees (39° 6′ 12″ N · 84° 30′ 55″ W). In UTM, zone 16: 714,857 E and 4,331,197 N, on NAD83.

How does Cincinnati rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 45th lowest 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 Cincinnati in?

Hamilton County, Ohio.

Which is higher, Cincinnati or Columbus?

Columbus. Cincinnati sits at 552 ft and Columbus at 780 ft: a difference of 228 ft, 100 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