What Is My Elevation?

Where the elevation comes from

We look up your coordinates in a global terrain model, a grid of ground heights measured from satellites. It has one value roughly every 300 ft (90 m). The answer is the height of the ground around you above mean sea level.

Because the coordinates are rounded before the lookup, a few steps in any direction often don't change the number. Tap the map to check any other point, or type an address, place or coordinates into Elevation by address.

If your phone also reports a GPS altitude, it appears underneath, with an accuracy range when the phone gives one. It's measured in a different way, so the two numbers rarely match. If the terrain data is unavailable, you see the GPS altitude instead, marked as less reliable.

Why GPS altitude and ground elevation differ

• GPS is weaker vertically. All the satellites are above you, so height errors are usually larger than horizontal ones.
• A different zero point. Some phones measure height above a mathematical ellipsoid rather than sea level. The gap between the two reaches about 330 ft (100 m) in some parts of the world.
• Buildings and trees. The terrain model describes the surface at about 300 ft (90 m) resolution. It can read a little high in dense forests or city centers.
• Steep ground. It also smooths small hills and cliffs. Near a canyon rim or a steep valley, one grid cell can hold both high and low ground, so the value is a blend.
• A wrong position. Indoors, your phone may locate you by Wi-Fi, which is often off by roughly 65–330 ft (20–100 m). On a hillside, that spot has a different height.
• You're above the ground. On a high floor, a bridge or a plane, your altitude is higher than the ground elevation. We show the ground.

If the elevation looks wrong

1. Check the point on the map. Elevation is for that point, so a wrong position gives a wrong height. If the dot is off, tap the map where you really are, or check its GPS coordinates.
2. Give it a few seconds. Accuracy usually improves during the first 10–20 seconds, and the elevation updates with it. If a notice shows a large accuracy, move outdoors or turn on precise location, then tap Update location.
3. On steep slopes or near cliffs, tap the map a little uphill or downhill: height changes quickly within 300 ft (90 m).
4. For construction or flood insurance, use an official survey or an elevation certificate. A terrain model is no substitute.