Skip to content
Elevation

Elevation of Tacoma

250ft

above sea level · 76 m

Tacoma is a city in Washington with 229,816 people, the 3rd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 105th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

Loading the map…

Place facts

Coordinates
47.25° N · 122.44° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 47° 15′ 10″ N · 122° 26′ 39″ W
UTM coordinates
10T · 542,048 E · 5,233,416 N
Zone 10 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Pierce County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Washington
WA · capital: Olympia
Time zone
Pacific Time
UTC−8 · UTC−7 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
229,816 people
49.8 sq mi of land · 4,616 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from March 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Tacoma had 229,816 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 4.6% more than in April 2020, when it had 219,651. Its 49.8 sq mi of land work out to 4,616 people/sq mi; the state average is 120 people/sq mi.

It’s the 3rd most populous of the 639 places the Census counts in Washington (cities, towns and CDPs), after Seattle (784,777), and holds 2.9% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Pierce County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 0.7 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

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

Tacoma sits at 250 ft (76 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: Tacoma is 612 ft below it.

The state capital, Olympia, is 26 mi away in a straight line and 154 ft lower than Tacoma.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Seattle, 25 mi away in a straight line and 77 ft lower.

Of the 10 cities in Washington with a page, Tacoma is the 3rd highest: the highest is Spokane Valley (2,013 ft) and the lowest is Kent (43 ft).

The highest point in Washington is Mount Rainier, at 14,411 ft according to the USGS: 14,161 ft above Tacoma, 42 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 143 Waterbury 271 ft
  2. 144 Manchester 254 ft
  3. 145 Tacoma 250 ft
  4. 146 Columbus 239 ft
  5. 147 Montgomery 238 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 Tacoma and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Tacoma with any other point on the map. Map of Pierce County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Tacoma 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 Washington counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Step-by-step guide How to find the elevation of any place

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Tacoma.

What is the elevation of Tacoma?

Tacoma is 250 feet (76 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 Tacoma?

Latitude 47.25288 and longitude -122.44429, in decimal degrees (47° 15′ 10″ N · 122° 26′ 39″ W). In UTM, zone 10: 542,048 E and 5,233,416 N, on NAD83.

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

It’s the 105th 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 Tacoma in?

Pierce County, Washington.

Which is higher, Tacoma or Olympia?

Tacoma. Tacoma sits at 250 ft and Olympia at 96 ft: a difference of 154 ft, 26 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