Elevation Map Lookup: Altitude of Any Address or Coordinate

What is an elevation map?

An elevation map is a visualization of terrain height across a region. Each point on the map carries an altitude value above mean sea level, derived from a digital elevation model (DEM). Elevation maps are used in hiking, hydrology, line-of-sight planning, drone flight paths, solar exposure modelling, and any application that depends on the third dimension. This tool returns the elevation value for a single point. For full-region elevation maps, see the MapAtlas Geo-Enrich API.

About elevation data

Elevation, also called altitude, is the height of a point above mean sea level. The standard reference is EGM96 or WGS84, the same global geoid used by GPS. Elevation values come from digital elevation models (DEMs), produced by satellite radar, lidar, and photogrammetry. Resolution varies by region: open global DEMs are typically 30 metres per pixel, while commercial DEMs reach 1 metre or better in well-mapped regions.

How this tool works

If you enter an address, we forward-geocode it to a latitude and longitude using the MapAtlas Geocoding API, then query a public elevation service for the height of that point. If you paste coordinates directly, we skip the geocoding step. The result is returned in both meters and feet, rounded to the nearest unit. For production use cases that need batch lookups, sub-meter accuracy, or terrain profile sampling along a route, the MapAtlas API exposes the same data through a stable enterprise endpoint.

Elevation reference points

Famous altitude reference points around the world. Paste any coordinate into the tool to verify.

When you need this

Hiking and outdoor apps showing trail elevation gain, drone flight planning tools that need terrain clearance, real estate platforms displaying floodplain risk, civil engineering pre-feasibility studies, weather and climate models, racing and cycling route planners, and any application where the third dimension matters. A two-dimensional map cannot tell you whether a route climbs 50 metres or 2,000 metres. Adding elevation data turns a flat map into a terrain-aware product.

Frequently asked questions

What is an elevation map?

An elevation map shows the height of the terrain above sea level across an area. Each point has an altitude value, usually drawn from a digital elevation model (DEM) such as SRTM or Copernicus. Elevation maps are used for hiking, hydrology, line of sight, drone flight planning, and any analysis that needs the third dimension.

How do I find the elevation of a location?

Enter an address or place name in the Address tab and click Get elevation. The tool resolves the address to a lat/lng pair, then queries an elevation service for the height of that point above sea level. The result appears in both meters and feet.

What is the elevation of my current location?

Allow location access in your browser, then paste your current latitude and longitude into the Coordinates tab. The tool returns the elevation of that point. Accuracy depends on the resolution of the underlying DEM, usually 10 to 30 metres horizontally.

How accurate is the elevation data?

The tool uses a global DEM with approximately 30-metre horizontal resolution and a few metres of vertical accuracy in most regions. Mountain summits, narrow valleys, and recent man-made changes may differ from the published values. For survey-grade accuracy you need a commercial DEM or local lidar.

What is the difference between elevation and altitude?

In everyday use the two are interchangeable. Strictly: elevation is the height of a point on the ground above sea level, while altitude is the height of an object in the air above the ground or above sea level. This tool returns elevation, the height of the ground at the queried point.

Can I get elevation data for an entire region?

For single-point lookups this free tool is enough. For batch elevation queries or full-region elevation maps, use the MapAtlas Geo-Enrich API, which returns elevation, slope, and aspect for any point or polygon at scale.