The fifty state capitals span an extraordinary range: from 2134 m in Santa Fe down to 9 m in Honolulu. Some were chosen for defensibility, some for river access, several as compromises between rival cities — and the elevations follow those decisions. Here are all 50 US state capitals ranked by elevation, measured at each capitol district.
What is my elevation? Check live →All 50 state capitals, highest to lowest
| # | Capital | State | Elevation (ft) | Elevation (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 7,001 ft | 2,134 m |
| 2 | Cheyenne | Wyoming | 6,122 ft | 1,866 m |
| 3 | Denver | Colorado | 5,246 ft | 1,599 m |
| 4 | Carson City | Nevada | 4,688 ft | 1,429 m |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 4,272 ft | 1,302 m |
| 6 | Helena | Montana | 4,088 ft | 1,246 m |
| 7 | Boise | Idaho | 2,730 ft | 832 m |
| 8 | Bismarck | North Dakota | 1,703 ft | 519 m |
| 9 | Pierre | South Dakota | 1,480 ft | 451 m |
| 10 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 1,217 ft | 371 m |
| 11 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 1,207 ft | 368 m |
| 12 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,093 ft | 333 m |
| 13 | Atlanta | Georgia | 1,073 ft | 327 m |
| 14 | Topeka | Kansas | 951 ft | 290 m |
| 15 | Madison | Wisconsin | 892 ft | 272 m |
| 16 | Lansing | Michigan | 856 ft | 261 m |
| 17 | Des Moines | Iowa | 820 ft | 250 m |
| 18 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 748 ft | 228 m |
| 19 | Columbus | Ohio | 745 ft | 227 m |
| 20 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 702 ft | 214 m |
| 21 | Jefferson City | Missouri | 630 ft | 192 m |
| 22 | Charleston | West Virginia | 627 ft | 191 m |
| 23 | Springfield | Illinois | 614 ft | 187 m |
| 24 | Frankfort | Kentucky | 531 ft | 162 m |
| 25 | Montpelier | Vermont | 528 ft | 161 m |
| 26 | Nashville | Tennessee | 522 ft | 159 m |
| 27 | Austin | Texas | 515 ft | 157 m |
| 28 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 374 ft | 114 m |
| 29 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 358 ft | 109 m |
| 30 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 335 ft | 102 m |
| 31 | Jackson | Mississippi | 305 ft | 93 m |
| 32 | Columbia | South Carolina | 295 ft | 90 m |
| 33 | Concord | New Hampshire | 289 ft | 88 m |
| 34 | Tallahassee | Florida | 226 ft | 69 m |
| 35 | Montgomery | Alabama | 187 ft | 57 m |
| 36 | Richmond | Virginia | 180 ft | 55 m |
| 37 | Salem | Oregon | 180 ft | 55 m |
| 38 | Albany | New York | 164 ft | 50 m |
| 39 | Augusta | Maine | 125 ft | 38 m |
| 40 | Hartford | Connecticut | 105 ft | 32 m |
| 41 | Olympia | Washington | 98 ft | 30 m |
| 42 | Sacramento | California | 72 ft | 22 m |
| 43 | Trenton | New Jersey | 66 ft | 20 m |
| 44 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 59 ft | 18 m |
| 45 | Annapolis | Maryland | 49 ft | 15 m |
| 46 | Dover | Delaware | 39 ft | 12 m |
| 47 | Juneau | Alaska | 36 ft | 11 m |
| 48 | Providence | Rhode Island | 33 ft | 10 m |
| 49 | Boston | Massachusetts | 30 ft | 9 m |
| 50 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 30 ft | 9 m |
Santa Fe: the highest state capital
Santa Fe, New Mexico sits at roughly 2134 m (7,001 ft) — the highest state capital in the country and, founded in 1610, also the oldest. It sits at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and its altitude gives it a climate that surprises visitors expecting desert: snow is routine in winter.
Denver and the Mile High question
Denver measures roughly 1599 m at the city centre, and its nickname is more precise than most: the thirteenth step of the Colorado State Capitol is marked at exactly one mile above sea level — 5,280 feet, or 1,609 m. The step has changed three times, and all three markers are still there. The original 1909 inscription “One Mile Above Sea Level” was carved into the fifteenth step and stood until 1969, when students from Colorado State University resurveyed and a bronze marker went onto the eighteenth — a difference of 3.03 feet, later explained by the switch to the NAVD 88 vertical datum. In 2003 a brass medallion on the thirteenth step replaced both. And it is about to move again: a NOAA study is replacing NAVD 88 with a gravity-based reference surface, on the grounds that mean sea level is not actually level, and the new position is expected to be set in 2026 for Colorado’s 150th anniversary. Visitors who remember a different step are usually not misremembering. Denver is the highest capital of any populous state and the highest major city in the United States.
The low end: capitals at sea level
Nine state capitals sit below 30 m. Honolulu at about 9 m is the lowest, followed by Sacramento, Annapolis, Boston, Dover, Trenton, Providence, Baton Rouge and Olympia. Most are ports or river cities, chosen in an era when water access mattered more than anything else — and several now manage the consequences, as Sacramento lies in a floodplain protected by an extensive levee system.
6 capitals above 1,000 metres
The high capitals cluster tightly in the Mountain West: Santa Fe (2,134 m), Cheyenne (1,866 m), Denver (1,599 m), Carson City (1,429 m), Salt Lake City (1,302 m), Helena (1,246 m). Every one lies west of the 100th meridian, in the belt where the Great Plains rise towards the Rockies. East of that line, no state capital reaches even 600 m.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest state capital in the USA?
Santa Fe, New Mexico at roughly 2134 m (7,001 ft). It is also the oldest state capital in the country, founded in 1610.
Is Denver really exactly one mile high?
Close. The thirteenth step of the Colorado State Capitol is marked at exactly 5,280 feet, and the city centre measures roughly 1599 m. The marker itself has sat on three different steps — the fifteenth from 1909, the eighteenth after a 1969 student resurvey, and the thirteenth since 2003 — and a current NOAA datum revision is expected to move it once more in 2026.
What is the lowest state capital?
Honolulu, Hawaii at roughly 9 m, followed closely by Sacramento, Annapolis and Boston. Nine capitals sit below 30 m.
How many state capitals are above 1,000 metres?
6: Santa Fe, Cheyenne, Denver, Carson City, Salt Lake City, Helena. All of them lie in the Mountain West, west of the 100th meridian.