Elevation of Salem
157ft
above sea level · 48 m
Salem is the capital of Oregon. Of the 50 state capitals, it’s the 14th lowest. The state’s largest city is Portland.
By the Mapsfera Team
Loading the map…
Place facts
- Coordinates
- 44.94° N · 123.04° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 44° 56′ 34″ N · 123° 2′ 6″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 10T · 497,231 E · 4,976,608 N
- Zone 10 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- UTC−8 · UTC−7 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Population (2025)
- 181,779 people
- 49.0 sq mi of land · 3,708 people/sq mi
- Elevation model
- USGS 3DEP, 3 m grid
- Data from December 2008: the ground height at the city’s reference point.
Population
Salem had 181,779 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 3.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 175,516. Its 49.0 sq mi of land work out to 3,708 people/sq mi; the state average is 45 people/sq mi.
It’s the 2nd most populous of the 426 places the Census counts in Oregon (cities, towns and CDPs), after Portland (635,109), and holds 4.3% of the state’s population.
The city spreads across 2 counties. By population: Marion County (151,399) and Polk County (30,380). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Marion County.
Compared with other state capitals
Salem sits at 157 ft (48 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: Salem is 941 ft below it.
The highest point in Oregon is Mount Hood, at 11,239 ft according to the USGS: 11,082 ft above Salem, 72 mi away in a straight line.
- 37 Salem 157 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
Frequently asked questions
What people most often ask about the elevation of Salem.
What is the elevation of Salem?
Salem is 157 feet (48 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 Salem?
Latitude 44.94290 and longitude -123.03510, in decimal degrees (44° 56′ 34″ N · 123° 2′ 6″ W). In UTM, zone 10: 497,231 E and 4,976,608 N, on NAD83.
How does Salem rank among the highest state capitals?
It’s the 14th lowest of the 50 state capitals. The highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft).
What county is Salem in?
Several: Marion County and Polk County. Most of its people live in Marion County.
Which is higher, Salem or Portland?
Salem. Salem sits at 157 ft and Portland at 32 ft: a difference of 125 ft, 44 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