The Top 10 U.S. Capital Cities at the Highest Elevation

The United States is a country with a broad range of terrains, habitats, and elevations. The lowest point in the United States is 282 feet below sea level, located in the Mojave Desert of California. The highest point, on the other hand, is the peak of Denali, located in Alaska. That point is over 20,000 feet above sea level!

One way to get a good picture of the elevations of various states is by checking out where each state has placed its capital. While capitals may not be the highest point in the state, they can be a good way to get a sense of the general elevation of a state’s population.

Here are the ten United States capitals that have the highest elevation! Oklahoma City is in tenth place, at 1,198 feet, reaching all the way up to the capital of Santa Fe, which is over 7,000 feet in elevation. Read on for facts about each of these amazing high-up capitals!

10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The tenth-place city for highest capitals in the United States is Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City sits at an elevation of 1,198 feet. While many consider Oklahoma a plain state, the state actually houses four mountain ranges, so it’s no surprise that their capital sits on some significant elevation! The highest point in the state, however, is Black Mesa, which is a trailhead that reaches 4,973 feet.

9. Pierre, South Dakota

Pierre, South Dakota is the ninth-highest capital in the United States. Pierre is located at 1,453 feet, just 300 feet higher than Oklahoma City. South Dakota is also home to quite a few mountain ranges, so the state has some spots with an even higher elevation than Pierre does! The highest point in South Dakota is Black Elk Peak, which reaches a massive 7,242 feet in elevation.

8. Bismarck, North Dakota

The capital of North Dakota is Bismarck, which reaches an elevation of 1,686 feet. Just over Pierre’s elevation, North Dakota’s capital is the eighth-highest capital city in the US. Bismarck’s highest point, however, is far below Pierre and Oklahoma City’s. White Butte is the highest point in North Dakota and reaches only 3,506 feet above sea level. However, Bismarck’s location still gets North Dakota some credit for its elevation.

7. Boise, Idaho

Boise, Idaho is the seventh-highest capital city in America, with an elevation of 2,730 feet. Boise is nestled within surrounding mountain ranges, not even close to reaching the highest elevation in Idaho. The highest point in the state of Idaho, in fact, is over 12,000 feet above sea level. That is the Borah Peak, which reaches 12,662 feet in elevation. Borah Peak is 261 miles outside of Boise, so you’ll have to take quite a drive to enjoy the grand heights of Idaho!

6. Helena, Montana

For ski lovers and peak-baggers, Montana is home to some incredible mountains. Helena, Montana is the sixth-highest capital city in America, reaching an elevation of 3,875 feet above sea level. Helena’s elevation is double that of Bismarck’s! The highest point in Montana, however, is even more impressive. Granite Peak reaches 12,807 feet above sea level, trumping the highest point of the last four states. The height of Granite Peak puts Montana in the running for the state with the highest point in America. Montana is in tenth place.

5. Salt Lake City, Utah

Despite its location down in the valley, Salt Lake City is one of the capitals in the United States with the highest elevation! Salt Lake City sits at 4,226 feet in elevation. However, it’s surrounded by much taller mountains. In fact, the highest point in all of Utah is only eighty miles from the capital. In under three hours, you can leave Salt Lake City and look at King’s Peak, which reaches an elevation of 13,528 feet above sea level. That’s more than two miles up!

4. Carson City, Nevada

Carson City, Nevada is the fourth-highest capital in the United States. Carson City sits at an elevation of 4,802 feet, just beating out its closest competitor, Salt Lake City. Nevada is home to a diverse number of terrains but includes some pretty intense mountains. The highest point in Nevada is Boundary Peak, which reaches 13,140 feet into the sky. The peak is about 200 miles south of Carson City. While Utah’s highest point still tops Nevada’s, that’s a pretty incredible level of elevation!

3. Denver, Colorado

The Mile-High City of Denver, Colorado is the third-highest capital city in the United States. It got its nickname due to its elevation of 5,280 feet, which is exactly the length of a mile! However, Colorado is home to much more aggressive elevation once folks leave the Front Range. Within the Rocky Mountains, Colorado is home to many peaks that reach over 13,000 feet. The highest point in Colorado, however, is Mount Elbert. The summit of Mount Elbert is 14,440 feet above sea level. While you can reach some fantastic mountains easily from downtown Denver, Mount Elbert is a bit of a hike. You’ll have to drive over 100 miles to reach the peak.

2. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Colorado’s neighbor, Wyoming, is home to the second-highest capital city in the United States. Cheyenne, Wyoming is located at an elevation of 6,063 feet! The tallest point in Wyoming, however, is Gannett Peak. Gannett Peak sits in the Wind River Range of mountains and reaches 13,804 feet above sea level. Gannett Peak is far from the capital city, however. It’s about 300 miles northwest of Cheyenne.

1. Santa Fe, New Mexico

And finally, the beautiful city of Santa Fe, New Mexico takes the first-place spot for the highest capital cities in the United States. Santa Fe sits at 7,199 feet in elevation. New Mexico is home to some gorgeous mountains, and the highest point in the entire state is Wheeler Peak. The summit of Wheeler Peak reaches an elevation of 13,161 feet.

Conclusion

The United States is home to some incredible high-up capitals! Each state is home to its own unique terrain, making it interesting to look into the location of each capital. The capital of the United States, Washington D.C., is located at the minuscule elevation of 410 feet above sea level!

The state with the highest overall elevation, however, didn’t make this list. Alaska is the winner, with a high point of over 20,000 feet. Denali isn’t only the highest point in the US, but also in North America! However, the capital of Alaska, Juneau, is only 33 feet above sea level. Thus, Alaska isn’t in the running for highest-elevation capital cities! It’s incredible that one state can see some of the highest and lowest elevations in all of America.

The diversity of the United States is part of what makes this country so interesting. Use this list as a guide to explore some of the highest-up states in the entire country!