Guide Rankings Geography Updated May 16, 2026

Highest State Capitals by Elevation

Map of the United States showing each state capital's elevation above sea level

Highest State Capitals by Elevation

Ranking - Geography

Quick Answer

Highest State Capitals by Elevation

  1. 1

    Santa Fe, New Mexico is the highest elevation state capital in the United States at 7,199 feet (2,194 m). Denver, Colorado, often assumed to be first, ranks third at 5,280 feet.

  2. 2

    Cheyenne, Wyoming ranks second at 6,062 feet (1,848 m), sitting more than 780 feet above Denver's famous mile-high mark.

  3. 3

    Providence, Rhode Island is the lowest elevation state capital at 10 feet (3 m) above sea level, followed by Honolulu, Hawaii at 18 feet and Boston, Massachusetts at 19 feet.

Map

State Capitals by Elevation Above Sea Level Map

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The Mountain West dominates the high end: the top six capitals are all in New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Montana. Coastal and Gulf states cluster near sea level, most below 60 feet.
State Capitals by Elevation Above Sea Level Map
Rank State ft
1 New Mexico 7,199
2 Wyoming 6,062
3 Colorado 5,280
4 Nevada 4,802
5 Utah 4,226
6 Montana 4,068
7 Idaho 2,730
8 North Dakota 1,686
9 South Dakota 1,480
10 Oklahoma 1,201
11 Nebraska 1,176
12 Arizona 1,086
13 Georgia 1,026
14 Iowa 951
15 Kansas 938
16 Ohio 902
17 Wisconsin 873
18 Michigan 852
19 Minnesota 780
20 Indiana 715
21 Missouri 630
22 West Virginia 601
23 Illinois 597
23 Tennessee 597
25 Vermont 525
26 Kentucky 510
27 Texas 489
28 Arkansas 335
29 Pennsylvania 320
30 North Carolina 315
30 Mississippi 315
32 South Carolina 292
33 New Hampshire 288
34 Alabama 221
35 Florida 203
36 Oregon 171
37 Virginia 166
38 Maine 154
39 New York 144
40 Washington 108
41 Louisiana 56
42 New Jersey 50
43 Maryland 36
44 Delaware 33
44 Alaska 33
46 California 30
46 Connecticut 30
48 Massachusetts 19
49 Hawaii 18
50 Rhode Island 10

The Mountain West dominates the high end: the top six capitals are all in New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Montana. Coastal and Gulf states cluster near sea level, most below 60 feet.

Highest State Capitals by Elevation Table

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Print-ready table — Highest State Capitals by Elevation

State Capitals with the Highest Elevation

Highest

7199
New Mexico flag
New Mexico #1

Top 10 — Elevation (ft)

#1 New Mexico flag New Mexico
7199
#2 Wyoming flag Wyoming
6062
#3 Colorado flag Colorado
5280
#4 Nevada flag Nevada
4802
#5 Utah flag Utah
4226
#6 Montana flag Montana
4068
#7 Idaho flag Idaho
2730
#8 North Dakota flag North Dakota
1686
#9 South Dakota flag South Dakota
1480
#10 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
1201

Santa Fe Tops Denver by Nearly 2,000 Feet

Aerial view of Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising behind the city
Santa Fe at 7,199 feet sits on the western flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost sub-range of the Rocky Mountains and the range that gives northern New Mexico its distinctive backdrop.
The Colorado State Capitol building in Denver with the mile-high marker on the 13th step
A marker on the 13th step of the Colorado State Capitol confirms Denver's 5,280-foot elevation. A second marker one step up reads 5,282 feet, reflecting different survey benchmarks used over the decades.

Denver's 'Mile High City' identity is real but the ranking is not. At 5,280 feet exactly, Denver places third among state capitals, behind Wyoming's Cheyenne at 6,062 feet and New Mexico's Santa Fe at 7,199 feet.

The gap between Santa Fe and Denver is 1,919 feet, more than the combined elevation of Boston, Hartford, Providence, and Annapolis. Santa Fe sits on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the southern end of the Rockies, placing the city floor roughly at the base of ski-resort terrain.

Cheyenne's 6,062-foot elevation is widely underestimated. Wyoming's capital sits on the Laramie Range's eastern edge at an altitude most visitors associate with Colorado ski towns, not a Great Plains state capital.

The Top Six Are All in the Mountain West

Wyoming State Capitol building in Cheyenne with open high-plains terrain visible in the background
Cheyenne, Wyoming at 6,062 feet ranks second among U.S. state capitals by elevation, sitting 782 feet above Denver on the eastern edge of the Laramie Range.

Every state capital above 4,000 feet is in the Mountain West: Santa Fe (NM), Cheyenne (WY), Denver (CO), Carson City (NV), Salt Lake City (UT), and Helena (MT). The seventh-ranked capital, Boise, Idaho, drops to 2,730 feet, a gap of more than 1,300 feet below Helena at rank 6.

Carson City, Nevada at 4,802 feet sits in the Carson Valley east of the Sierra Nevada. Salt Lake City at 4,226 feet is often left out of high-elevation conversations because Colorado cities absorb most media attention. Helena's 4,068 feet reflects Montana's plateau character: the state's western third rarely drops below 3,500 feet.

Eight Capitals Below 40 Feet Above Sea Level

Providence, Rhode Island ranks last at 10 feet (3 m), the lowest elevation state capital in the country. Honolulu (18 ft), Boston (19 ft), Sacramento (30 ft), Hartford (30 ft), Juneau (33 ft), Dover (33 ft), and Annapolis (36 ft) all sit below 40 feet above sea level.

The Atlantic seaboard from Maryland to Connecticut is the densest cluster of low-elevation state capitals. Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 56 feet is the lowest capital in the Gulf South, a detail that shapes how the state plans for storm surge and flood risk across its southern parishes.

Quick Answers

What is the highest elevation state capital in the US
Santa Fe, New Mexico is the highest elevation state capital in the United States at 7,199 feet (2,194 m) above sea level. It sits on the western flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico.
Is Denver the highest elevation state capital
No. Denver ranks third at 5,280 feet (1,609 m). Santa Fe, New Mexico (7,199 ft) and Cheyenne, Wyoming (6,062 ft) are both higher. Denver's 'Mile High City' label is accurate, but it ranks third among all state capitals by elevation.
What is the lowest elevation state capital
Providence, Rhode Island is the lowest elevation state capital at 10 feet (3 m) above sea level. Honolulu, Hawaii (18 ft) and Boston, Massachusetts (19 ft) are next. Juneau, Alaska sits at 33 feet, hemmed by mountains on a tidewater channel.
How much higher is Santa Fe than Denver
Santa Fe is 1,919 feet higher than Denver. Santa Fe sits at 7,199 feet (2,194 m) and Denver at 5,280 feet (1,609 m). Cheyenne, Wyoming at 6,062 feet also exceeds Denver by 782 feet.
What is the elevation of Cheyenne Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming sits at 6,062 feet (1,848 m) above sea level, making it the second-highest state capital in the United States. It sits on the eastern slope of the Laramie Range, 782 feet above Denver.
Which state capitals are below 40 feet above sea level
Eight state capitals sit below 40 feet: Providence, RI (10 ft), Honolulu, HI (18 ft), Boston, MA (19 ft), Sacramento, CA (30 ft), Hartford, CT (30 ft), Juneau, AK (33 ft), Dover, DE (33 ft), and Annapolis, MD (36 ft).

Methodology

Elevations reflect downtown city altitude above mean sea level, drawn from USGS topographic benchmarks and National Geodetic Survey control data.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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