Elevation of Salt Lake City
4,264ft
above sea level · 1,300 m
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and its most populous city, with 218,428 people. Of the 50 state capitals, it’s the 5th highest.
By the Mapsfera Team
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Place facts
- Coordinates
- 40.76° N · 111.89° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 40° 45′ 39″ N · 111° 53′ 28″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 12T · 424,791 E · 4,512,584 N
- Zone 12 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Mountain Time
- UTC−7 · UTC−6 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Population (2025)
- 218,428 people
- 111 sq mi of land · 1,970 people/sq mi
- Elevation model
- USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
- Lidar from April 2023: the ground height at the city’s reference point.
Population
Salt Lake City had 218,428 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 9.4% more than in April 2020, when it had 199,726. Its 111 sq mi of land work out to 1,970 people/sq mi; the state average is 43 people/sq mi.
It’s the most populous of the 334 places the Census counts in Utah (cities, towns and CDPs), and holds 6.2% of the state’s population.
It lies entirely within Salt Lake County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 2.4 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.
Compared with other state capitals
Salt Lake City sits at 4,264 ft (1,300 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: Salt Lake City is 3,166 ft above it.
The highest point in Utah is Kings Peak, at 13,528 ft according to the USGS: 9,264 ft above Salt Lake City, 79 mi away in a straight line.
- 5 Salt Lake City 4,264 ft
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Frequently asked questions
What people most often ask about the elevation of Salt Lake City.
What is the elevation of Salt Lake City?
Salt Lake City is 4,264 feet (1,300 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 Salt Lake City?
Latitude 40.76078 and longitude -111.89105, in decimal degrees (40° 45′ 39″ N · 111° 53′ 28″ W). In UTM, zone 12: 424,791 E and 4,512,584 N, on NAD83.
How does Salt Lake City rank among the highest state capitals?
It’s the 5th highest of the 50 state capitals. The highest is Santa Fe (6,997 ft) and the lowest is Providence (9 ft).
What county is Salt Lake City in?
Salt Lake County, Utah.
Which is higher, Salt Lake City or Boise?
Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City sits at 4,264 ft and Boise at 2,700 ft: a difference of 1,564 ft, 296 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