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Elevation

Elevation of Austin

487ft

above sea level · 148 m

Austin is the capital of Texas. Of the 50 state capitals, it’s the 24th lowest. The state’s largest city is Houston.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
30.27° N · 97.74° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 30° 16′ 2″ N · 97° 44′ 35″ W
UTM coordinates
14R · 620,908 E · 3,349,057 N
Zone 14 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Travis County
The city spans 4 counties; its reference point is in this one
State
Texas
TX · capital: Austin
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
1,002,632 people
325 sq mi of land · 3,085 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from February 2017: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Austin had 1,002,632 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 4.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 958,151. Its 325 sq mi of land work out to 3,085 people/sq mi; the state average is 121 people/sq mi.

It’s the 5th most populous of the 1,862 places the Census counts in Texas (cities, towns and CDPs), after Houston (2,397,315), and holds 3.2% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 4 counties. By population: Travis County (929,657), Williamson County (72,071), and Hays County (904); no one lives in its part of Bastrop County. Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Travis County.

Compared with other state capitals

Austin sits at 487 ft (148 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: Austin is 611 ft below it.

Among the 91 cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 44th lowest.

Of the 12 cities in Texas with a page, Austin is the 6th lowest: the highest is El Paso (3,713 ft) and the lowest is Corpus Christi (7 ft).

The highest point in Texas is Guadalupe Peak, at 8,749 ft according to the USGS: 8,262 ft above Austin, 436 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 25 Montpelier 522 ft
  2. 26 Frankfort 504 ft
  3. 27 Austin 487 ft
  4. 28 Little Rock 337 ft
  5. 29 Harrisburg 334 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 Austin and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Austin with any other point on the map. Map of Travis County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Austin 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 Texas counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Austin.

What is the elevation of Austin?

Austin is 487 feet (148 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 Austin?

Latitude 30.26715 and longitude -97.74306, in decimal degrees (30° 16′ 2″ N · 97° 44′ 35″ W). In UTM, zone 14: 620,908 E and 3,349,057 N, on NAD83.

How does Austin rank among the highest state capitals?

It’s the 24th lowest of the 50 state capitals. The highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft).

What county is Austin in?

Several: Travis County, Williamson County, Hays County, and Bastrop County. Most of its people live in Travis County.

Which is higher, Austin or San Antonio?

San Antonio. Austin sits at 487 ft and San Antonio at 649 ft: a difference of 162 ft, 74 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