How high is Steamboat Springs?

Steamboat Springs sits at 6,736 ft (2,053 m) above sea level, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data. That sits right around Colorado’s average elevation of 6,867 ft (2,093 m) — about 48% of the state is higher, putting Steamboat Springs near the middle.

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

A live 3D slice of the terrain around Steamboat Springs, from our satellite elevation model. Steamboat Springs is marked at 6,736 ft (2,053 m); the highest ground in view reaches 12,103 ft (3,689 m). Drag to spin it (tap to start on mobile).

Steamboat Springs in Colorado

Steamboat Springs, at 6,736 ft (2,053 m), sits almost exactly at Colorado’s average elevation of 6,867 ft (2,093 m) — our model puts about 48% of Colorado higher, so it lands near the middle of the state’s range.

3,333 ft — Colorado low▲ Steamboat Springs 6,736 ft · avg 6,867 ft ┈14,416 ft — Colorado high

The terrain around Steamboat Springs

Across this view the land rises toward the east. The western third of the frame averages about 7,822 ft (2,384 m); the eastern third about 8,619 ft (2,627 m) — a climb of roughly 797 ft (243 m), topping out near 12,103 ft (3,689 m) at the edge of the frame. That is the mountain front Steamboat 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 Steamboat Springs’s altitude means

At 6,736 ft (2,053 m), Steamboat 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 Steamboat Springs compares

Among Colorado’s larger cities, Steamboat Springs is the highest 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)

Steamboat Springs elevation FAQ

How high is Steamboat Springs?: Steamboat Springs’s elevation is about 6,736 ft (2,053 m) above sea level at the city center, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data.
Is Steamboat Springs high or low for Colorado?: It’s about average. Steamboat Springs sits close to Colorado’s mean elevation of 6,867 ft (2,093 m).
Does Steamboat Springs’s altitude affect visitors?: Often, yes. At 6,736 ft (2,053 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.

Steamboat 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 211 m resolution, sharp enough to resolve the surrounding ridgelines. Data as of 2026-08-17.