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Elevation

Elevation of Cleveland

654ft

above sea level · 199 m

Cleveland is a city in Ohio with 363,608 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 37th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
41.50° N · 81.70° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 41° 29′ 58″ N · 81° 41′ 43″ W
UTM coordinates
17T · 441,959 E · 4,594,442 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Cuyahoga 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)
363,608 people
77.7 sq mi of land · 4,678 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from November 2021: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Cleveland had 363,608 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.4% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 372,635. Its 77.7 sq mi of land work out to 4,678 people/sq mi; the state average is 291 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 1,265 places the Census counts in Ohio (cities, towns and CDPs), after Columbus (938,396), and holds 3.1% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Cuyahoga County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.7 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Cleveland sits at 654 ft (199 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: Cleveland is 204 ft below it.

The state capital, Columbus, is 126 mi away in a straight line and 126 ft higher than Cleveland.

Of the 6 cities in Ohio with a page, Cleveland is the 3rd lowest. The others are Akron (960 ft), Columbus (780 ft), Dayton (740 ft), Toledo (611 ft), and Cincinnati (552 ft).

The highest point in Ohio is Campbell Hill, at 1,550 ft according to the USGS: 896 ft above Cleveland, 131 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 35 Tulsa 722 ft
  2. 36 Plano 668 ft
  3. 37 Cleveland 654 ft
  4. 38 Fort Worth 653 ft
  5. 39 San Antonio 649 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 Cleveland and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Cleveland with any other point on the map. Map of Cuyahoga County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Cleveland 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 Cleveland.

What is the elevation of Cleveland?

Cleveland is 654 feet (199 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 Cleveland?

Latitude 41.49950 and longitude -81.69541, in decimal degrees (41° 29′ 58″ N · 81° 41′ 43″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 441,959 E and 4,594,442 N, on NAD83.

How does Cleveland rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 37th 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 Cleveland in?

Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Which is higher, Cleveland or Columbus?

Columbus. Cleveland sits at 654 ft and Columbus at 780 ft: a difference of 126 ft, 126 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