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Elevation
View an Elevation Map on Google Maps anywhere in the world
See Google Maps elevation for any city, address or place, and create an Elevation Profile on Google Maps worldwide with this free, interactive map tool. Keep reading to learn how to draw an elevation profile along any path, learn how to show contour lines near your chosen location, and how to keep your location automatically updated on the map.
Have fun exploring the distance above sea level anywhere worldwide with this Google Maps altitude tool! Also, in addition to this Google Maps altitude layer which shows elevation above sea level, you can also show county lines and county name labels in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and Switzerland. Optionally show city limits and township boundaries in the U.S. as well.
Quick Tips for using this Elevation map tool
- There are four ways to get started using this Elevation map tool
- In the “Search places” box above the map, type an address, city, etc. and choose the one you want from the auto-complete list
- Click the map to see the elevation for where you clicked (Monthly Contributors also get Dynamic Maps)
- To search using GPS coordinates use the “Find lat long” box in the top right above the map*
- Click the ◉ button in the upper right corner of the map to use your current location. Click the ◉ button again to automatically update your location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds, shown as ◉A for Active).**
- Click the “Use m/km” button in the lower left corner of the map to use the metric system (meters and
kilometers). Click “Use ft/mi” to use the imperial system (feet and miles). By default, U.S. users will
see feet and users in the rest of the world will see meters.
- Click the blue “Elevation Profile…” button in the lower left corner of the map to create an elevation
profile along the path you draw. Double-click the map at the last point you wish to draw, and an
Elevation Profile will appear.
- Check the “Show similar elevations” checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to show all the places on
the map with elevations similar to your chosen location. Seven contour lines will draw: the elevation of
the blue dot will be the blue line, and three contours will draw at 20 ft/m intervals above your elevation in red
and three contours will draw at 20 ft/m intervals below your clicked elevation in green. You can change the target
elevation in three ways: by clicking the map, typing a value in the “Find elev” box in the lower left corner of
the map or by typing a place in the “Search places” box above the map. Exit the dynamic contour lines mode by
unchecking the “Show similar elevations” checkbox.
- Optionally, show US city limits, US townships, and county labels by checking the boxes in the lower left corner of the map
- Subscribe to receive notification of tool updates and usage tips
* You can search using various formats of latitude longitude, including degrees, minutes and seconds; degrees
and decimal minutes; or decimal degrees
** The “Locate” button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS; desktop
browsers typically show an approximate location
*** Or equivalent province, district, etc.
Why would you need a map with elevation and contour lines?
Here are several example uses for elevation and contour lines on Google Maps:
- Worldwide Exploration: Discover the diverse topography of our planet, from towering peaks to barren deserts below sea level, fostering global geographical awareness.
- Outdoor Activities: Help plan hiking, biking, and trekking routes anywhere in the world, creating elevation profiles and knowing what elevations to expect.
- International Civil Engineering: Plan global infrastructure projects, understanding topography to build sustainable roads, bridges and buildings.
- Flood Risk Assessment: Use elevation to help identify areas prone to flooding, assisting international disaster relief and urban planning efforts.
- Real Estate and Property Evaluation: Prospective property buyers can gauge the view, drainage, and other factors influenced by elevation.
- Environmental and Conservation Efforts: Understanding how topography may influence ecosystems and habitats.
- Agricultural Optimization: Farmers can determine suitable crops for an area based on its elevation and slope, optimizing irrigation and drainage.
- Global Geological Research: Study earth’s formations, fault lines, erosion patterns across different countries and terrains.
- Water Resource Management: Worldwide identification of watersheds, river basins, and potential sites for sustainable water harvesting.
- Global Aviation Planning: Pilots can use elevation to help plan flight routes across continents, considering topography, especially in uncharted or less familiar terrains.
- Academic Research: Facilitate worldwide studies in geography, earth sciences, and archaeology by providing students and researchers with comprehensive elevation data.
- Transportation and Logistics: Plan efficient global transportation routes, considering elevation challenges for railways, highways, and other transit systems.
- Historical and Cultural Exploration: Understand how civilizations evolved around mountain ranges, valleys, and terrains, giving context to historical and cultural narratives.
- Renewable Energy Projects: Identify optimal locations for wind, solar, or hydroelectric installations across diverse landscapes around the world.
FAQs for Elevation
How do I show Google Maps elevation / altitude?
This Elevation map tool shows elevation / altitude on Google Maps. Click anywhere on the map to get its elevation, click the 'use location' button in the upper right corner of the map to see your current elevation, or 'Search places' above the map.
How do I draw a Google Maps elevation profile?
This Elevation Profile map tool lets you draw elevation profiles on Google Maps. Click the 'Elevation Profile' button on the left side of the map, draw a path and double-click at the last point, and an Elevation Profile along your path will appear above the map.
How do I find elevation on Google Maps?
This Elevation map tool displays elevation on Google Maps. Click the 'use location' button in the upper right corner of the map to see your current elevation, or click anywhere on the map, or 'Search places' above the map.
Why might I need to know the elevation for a given place or address?
You might need to know the elevation for a place to:
- plan a hiking route, biking route, or camping spot
- plan a road trip, including vehicle maintenance or winterization
- anticipate elevation-based weather changes
- find a place to live
- record elevation information when conducting field research using GPS coordinates (see * above)
- avoiding places above a certain altitude for health reasons
- perform search and rescue where elevation is a factor
- know if you need to adjust a cooking recipe for high altitude
Is there a Google Maps elevation layer?
This Elevation / Altitude map tool has a global elevation layer on Google Maps. Click the 'use location' button in the upper right corner of the map to see your current elevation, or click anywhere on the map, or 'Search places' above the map.
Coverage Notes
- Elevation coverage is worldwide. In the U.S., the vertical accuracy is typically within 8ft (2.44m), in the rest of the world the vertical accuracy is typically within 16m (52.5ft).
- The elevation shown is ground elevation, excluding trees, buildings and any other surface objects.
- US coverage includes Counties in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
and American Samoa
“Show US city limits” draws all incorporated cities and towns in the United States and its territories and possessions
“Show US townships” draws all minor civil divisions (MCDs) (these are often townships) - Within the UK, England displays Counties and Unitary Authorities, Scotland displays Council Areas, Wales displays Principal Areas, and Northern Ireland displays Districts. Explanation of Unitary Authorities, Council Areas, Principal Areas and Districts.
- Australia displays Local Government Areas (LGAs)
- New Zealand displays Territorial Authorities
- Canada displays Census Divisions, which are Counties in some provinces but may include other geographies
- Mexico displays Municipalities, which are the next level administrative divisions below State
- Switzerland displays Districts
Other Notes
- The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type street addresses, road names, points of interest, etc. to see the elevation for that location
- Many of the map layers from which this information is extracted are very large, so it may take several seconds for all of the map layers to finish drawing
- When using “Elevation Profile…”, you must click slowly due to slow interactions with the server
- Because the map layers are large, boundaries will not be shown if you are zoomed out too far
- Note that typing an address will zoom in the map very close, whereas typing a city or county by itself will show you a map with a wider view
- Disclaimer: While the number of decimals in the latitude and longitude displayed for the map marker may imply a positional accuracy of within a few feet, note that Google Maps and the source data may not be that accurate. Accordingly, this tool should not be used for legal nor surveying purposes or anything beyond entertainment value.
ELEVATION Sources
– US: United States Geological Survey– Rest of World: U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Labratory
BOUNDARY LINE Sources
– US: Census Bureau– UK: Open Government License – Contains Office of National Statistics data, Ordnance Survey data ©Crown copyright and database right 2017. Open Data Lincese – Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
– Ireland: Open Data and Creative Commons License – Ordnance Survey Ireland
– Australia: Incorporates Administrative Boundaries ©PSMA Australia Limited licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence
– New Zealand: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 – Stats NZ
– Canada: Open License – Boundary Files, 2016 Census; Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-160-X
– Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI)
– Switzerland: Swiss Federal Office of Topography
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