How high is Colorado Springs?

Colorado Springs sits at 6,020 ft (1,835 m) above sea level, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data. That sits below Colorado’s average of 6,867 ft (2,093 m) — on the lower side for the state, with about 57% of Colorado higher.

Interactive 3D elevation map of the Colorado Springs, Colorado area, from the Copernicus GLO-30 model

A live 3D slice of the terrain around Colorado Springs, from our satellite elevation model. Colorado Springs is marked at 6,020 ft (1,835 m); the highest ground in view reaches 14,101 ft (4,298 m). Drag to spin it (tap to start on mobile).

Colorado Springs in Colorado

Here’s the useful context: Colorado Springs, at 6,020 ft (1,835 m), sits roughly 846 ft (258 m) below Colorado’s average elevation of 6,867 ft (2,093 m). Despite its reputation it’s on the lower side for its state — our model puts about 57% of Colorado’s land higher than the city.

3,333 ft — Colorado low▲ Colorado Springs 6,020 ft · avg 6,867 ft ┈14,416 ft — Colorado high

The terrain around Colorado Springs

Across this view the land rises toward the west. The eastern third of the frame averages about 6,109 ft (1,862 m); the western third about 8,428 ft (2,569 m) — a climb of roughly 2,320 ft (707 m), topping out near 14,101 ft (4,298 m) at the edge of the frame. That is the mountain front Colorado Springs sits against.

You can read the whole story in the map above — the flatter ground where the city sits, and the way the land gathers into peaks nearby. It’s the difference between where you stand and what you can see from it.

What Colorado Springs’s altitude means

At 6,020 ft (1,835 m), Colorado Springs is high enough that most visitors feel it, even though it’s still below the ~8,000 ft (2,400 m) line where altitude sickness typically begins. The first day or two can bring shortness of breath, a faster heart rate, trouble sleeping, and quicker dehydration.

The fix is patience: arrive, hydrate hard, go easy on alcohol and hard exertion, and let your body adjust over a day or two. Most people feel normal by the second or third day. If you’re heading higher into the mountains from here, the effects only grow.

How Colorado Springs compares

Among Colorado’s larger cities, Colorado Springs is ranked #3 of 10 by elevation. For a familiar yardstick, that puts it a bit above Denver’s mile-high 5,280 ft (1,609 m).

Steamboat Springs — 6,736 ft (2,053 m)
Durango — 6,549 ft (1,996 m)
Colorado Springs — 6,020 ft (1,835 m)
Montrose — 5,814 ft (1,772 m)
Cañon City — 5,361 ft (1,634 m)
Denver — 5,285 ft (1,611 m)
Fort Collins — 5,010 ft (1,527 m)

Colorado Springs elevation FAQ

How high is Colorado Springs?: Colorado Springs’s elevation is about 6,020 ft (1,835 m) above sea level at the city center, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data.
Is Colorado Springs high or low for Colorado?: On the low side. At 6,020 ft (1,835 m) it sits below Colorado’s average of 6,867 ft (2,093 m), with about 57% of the state higher.
Does Colorado Springs’s altitude affect visitors?: Often, yes. At 6,020 ft (1,835 m) most visitors feel the thinner air for a day or two — shortness of breath, poor sleep, dehydration — before adjusting.

Explore more

↑ Colorado’s full elevation map — the whole state in interactive 3D, with its high and low points and average elevation.
· Blog: Average Elevation by State — where Colorado’s 6,867 ft (2,093 m) mean ranks.
· Blog: Elevation vs Altitude — what a city’s elevation figure actually measures.

Colorado Springs’s elevation is a native ~30 m windowed-median sample from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA); the Colorado figures are computed across the state from the same model. The 3D view is a fine windowed sample at roughly 209 m resolution, sharp enough to resolve the surrounding ridgelines. Data as of 2026-08-17.