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Elevation

Elevation of Allentown

342ft

above sea level · 104 m

Allentown is a city in Pennsylvania with 126,044 people, the 3rd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 115th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
40.61° N · 75.49° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 40° 36′ 30″ N · 75° 29′ 25″ W
UTM coordinates
18T · 458,532 E · 4,495,406 N
Zone 18 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Lehigh County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Pennsylvania
PA · capital: Harrisburg
Time zone
Eastern Time
UTC−5 · UTC−4 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
126,044 people
17.6 sq mi of land · 7,178 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from October 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Allentown had 126,044 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, about the same as in April 2020 (125,858). Its 17.6 sq mi of land work out to 7,178 people/sq mi; the state average is 292 people/sq mi.

It’s the 3rd most populous of the 2,003 places the Census counts in Pennsylvania (cities, towns and CDPs), after Philadelphia (1,574,281), and holds 1.0% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Lehigh County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.2 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Allentown sits at 342 ft (104 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Allentown is 520 ft below it.

The state capital, Harrisburg, is 77 mi away in a straight line and 8 ft lower than Allentown.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Philadelphia, 48 mi away in a straight line and 307 ft lower.

Of the 4 cities in Pennsylvania with a page, Allentown is the 2nd highest. The others are Pittsburgh (765 ft), Harrisburg (334 ft), and Philadelphia (35 ft).

The highest point in Pennsylvania is Mount Davis, at 3,213 ft according to the USGS: 2,871 ft above Allentown, 203 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 133 Macon 370 ft
  2. 134 Clovis 360 ft
  3. 135 Allentown 342 ft
  4. 136 College Station 341 ft
  5. 137 Little Rock 337 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 Allentown and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Allentown with any other point on the map. Map of Lehigh County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Allentown 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 Pennsylvania counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Allentown.

What is the elevation of Allentown?

Allentown is 342 feet (104 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 Allentown?

Latitude 40.60843 and longitude -75.49018, in decimal degrees (40° 36′ 30″ N · 75° 29′ 25″ W). In UTM, zone 18: 458,532 E and 4,495,406 N, on NAD83.

How does Allentown rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 115th lowest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Allentown in?

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Which is higher, Allentown or Harrisburg?

Allentown. Allentown sits at 342 ft and Harrisburg at 334 ft: a difference of 8 ft, 77 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