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Elevation

Elevation of Plano

668ft

above sea level · 204 m

Plano is a city in Texas with 293,028 people, the 9th most populous in the state. Of the 91 US cities with more than 250,000 people, it’s the 36th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
33.02° N · 96.70° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 33° 1′ 11″ N · 96° 41′ 56″ W
UTM coordinates
14S · 714,936 E · 3,655,840 N
Zone 14 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Collin County
The city spans 2 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)
293,028 people
71.7 sq mi of land · 4,087 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from November 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Plano had 293,028 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 2.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 285,465. Its 71.7 sq mi of land work out to 4,087 people/sq mi; the state average is 121 people/sq mi.

It’s the 9th most populous of the 1,862 places the Census counts in Texas (cities, towns and CDPs), after Houston (2,397,315), and holds 0.9% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 2 counties. By population: Collin County (287,323) and Denton County (5,705). Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Collin County.

Compared with other big cities

Plano sits at 668 ft (204 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: Plano is 190 ft below it.

The state capital, Austin, is 200 mi away in a straight line and 181 ft lower than Plano.

Of the 44 cities in Texas with a page, Plano is the 13th highest: 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: 8,081 ft above Plano, 482 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 34 Indianapolis 730 ft
  2. 35 Tulsa 722 ft
  3. 36 Plano 668 ft
  4. 37 Cleveland 654 ft
  5. 38 Fort Worth 653 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 Plano and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Plano with any other point on the map. Map of Collin County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Plano 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 Plano.

What is the elevation of Plano?

Plano is 668 feet (204 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 Plano?

Latitude 33.01984 and longitude -96.69889, in decimal degrees (33° 1′ 11″ N · 96° 41′ 56″ W). In UTM, zone 14: 714,936 E and 3,655,840 N, on NAD83.

How does Plano rank among the highest big cities?

It’s the 36th 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 Plano in?

Several: Collin County and Denton County. Most of its people live in Collin County.

Which is higher, Plano or Austin?

Plano. Plano sits at 668 ft and Austin at 487 ft: a difference of 181 ft, 200 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