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Elevation

Elevation of Pittsburgh

765ft

above sea level · 233 m

Pittsburgh is a city in Pennsylvania with 307,632 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 32nd highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
40.44° N · 80.00° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 40° 26′ 26″ N · 79° 59′ 45″ W
UTM coordinates
17T · 585,158 E · 4,477,148 N
Zone 17 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Allegheny 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)
307,632 people
55.4 sq mi of land · 5,556 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from January 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Pittsburgh had 307,632 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 1.5% more than in April 2020, when it had 303,054. Its 55.4 sq mi of land work out to 5,556 people/sq mi; the state average is 292 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 2,003 places the Census counts in Pennsylvania (cities, towns and CDPs), after Philadelphia (1,574,281), and holds 2.4% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Allegheny County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 1.1 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with other big cities

Pittsburgh sits at 765 ft (233 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: Pittsburgh is 93 ft below it.

The state capital, Harrisburg, is 164 mi away in a straight line and 431 ft lower than Pittsburgh.

Of the 3 cities in Pennsylvania with a page, Pittsburgh is the highest. The others are Harrisburg (334 ft) and Philadelphia (35 ft).

The highest point in Pennsylvania is Mount Davis, at 3,213 ft according to the USGS: 2,448 ft above Pittsburgh, 63 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 30 St. Paul 789 ft
  2. 31 Columbus 780 ft
  3. 32 Pittsburgh 765 ft
  4. 33 Charlotte 763 ft
  5. 34 Indianapolis 730 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 Pittsburgh and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Pittsburgh with any other point on the map. Map of Allegheny County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh.

What is the elevation of Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh is 765 feet (233 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 Pittsburgh?

Latitude 40.44063 and longitude -79.99589, in decimal degrees (40° 26′ 26″ N · 79° 59′ 45″ W). In UTM, zone 17: 585,158 E and 4,477,148 N, on NAD83.

How does Pittsburgh rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 32nd 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 Pittsburgh in?

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Which is higher, Pittsburgh or Harrisburg?

Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh sits at 765 ft and Harrisburg at 334 ft: a difference of 431 ft, 164 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