Nebraska Elevation Map
Nebraska’s highest point is Panorama Point at 5,423 ft (1,653 m); its lowest is Missouri River at 840 ft (256 m); the mean elevation is 2,605 ft (794 m).
- Highest point📚
- 5,423 ft1,653 m
- Panorama Point.
- Lowest point📚
- 840 ft256 m
- Missouri River.
- Mean elevation⚙
- 2,605 ft794 m
- Computed from the GLO-30 surface model.
- Median elevation⚙
- 2,480 ft756 m
- Half of Nebraska lies below this height.
- Elevation range📚
- 4,583 ft1,397 m
- From 256 m to Panorama Point's 1653 m.
- Above 1,000 m (3,281 ft)⚙
- 28%
- The state's higher ground.
- Official area📚
- 77,348 mi²200,330 km²
- Nebraska.
Nebraska at a glance
Panorama Point, the high point, is a low swell on the High Plains higher than the highest point of many eastern states.
source ↗Nebraska's Sand Hills are the largest sand-dune field in the Western Hemisphere, stabilized under grass.
source ↗Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff were the great landmarks of the Oregon Trail across Nebraska.
source ↗The Ogallala Aquifer beneath the Sand Hills is one of the largest underground water sources on Earth.
source ↗Nebraska tilts a full kilometre upward from the Missouri River in the east to the panhandle in the west.
source ↗
Elevation profile of Nebraska
The largest share of land, 13%, falls in the 400–500 m band, and 79% of the territory lies above 500 m (1,640 ft).
- below 500 m (1,640 ft)21%
- 500–1,000 m51%
- 1,000–2,000 m28%
Highest and lowest points
The highest point of Nebraska, Panorama Point, 1,653 m, a low bump on the High Plains near the Colorado-Wyoming corner - higher than the summits of many eastern states, yet just a rise in a bison pasture.
source ↗Highest peaks of Nebraska
| Peak | Elevation | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panorama Point↗ | 5,423 ft1,653 m | High Plains | Highest point of Nebraska, a plains rise near the tri-state corner. |
| Wildcat Hills highpoint↗ | 4,790 ft1,460 m | Wildcat Hills | Rugged bluffs of the western panhandle. |
| Scotts Bluff↗ | 4,757 ft1,450 m | North Platte Valley | A famous landmark bluff on the Oregon Trail. |
| Pine Ridge highpoint↗ | 4,593 ft1,400 m | Pine Ridge | A high escarpment of the northwest. |
| Chimney Rock↗ | 4,232 ft1,290 m | North Platte Valley | An iconic spire above the Platte, an Oregon Trail landmark. |
Terrain regions of Nebraska
Panorama Point, the high point, is a low swell on the High Plains higher than the highest point of many eastern states. ↗
The panhandle and High Plains
↗Western Nebraska is High Plains and rugged country - the panhandle rising toward the Rockies, holding Panorama Point (1,653 m), the state high point, along with
The Sand Hills
↗North-central Nebraska holds the Sand Hills, the largest sand-dune field in the Western Hemisphere - but grass-covered and stabilized, a vast, rolling sea of gr
The eastern plains and river valleys
↗Eastern Nebraska is gently rolling farmland and prairie, the classic Corn Belt, sloping down through the Platte and Missouri river valleys. The land reaches its
The panhandle and High Plains
the westWestern Nebraska is High Plains and rugged country - the panhandle rising toward the Rockies, holding Panorama Point (1,653 m), the state high point, along with the Wildcat Hills, the Pine Ridge escarpment, and the landmark bluffs like Scotts Bluff and Chimney Rock that guided the wagon trains west.
The Sand Hills
the north-centreNorth-central Nebraska holds the Sand Hills, the largest sand-dune field in the Western Hemisphere - but grass-covered and stabilized, a vast, rolling sea of green dunes over the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the most intact prairie ecosystems left in America.
The eastern plains and river valleys
the eastEastern Nebraska is gently rolling farmland and prairie, the classic Corn Belt, sloping down through the Platte and Missouri river valleys. The land reaches its lowest point where the Missouri River leaves the southeast corner at 256 m.
City elevations in Nebraska
| City | Population | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 486,051 | 1,093 ft333 m |
| Lincoln | 294,757 | 1,207 ft368 m |
| Grand Island | 51,440 | 1,867 ft569 m |
| Kearney | 33,021 | 2,156 ft657 m |
| Norfolk | 24,366 | 1,529 ft466 m |
| North Platte | 24,194 | 2,805 ft855 m |
| Columbus | 22,797 | 1,450 ft442 m |
| Scottsbluff | 14,802 | 3,891 ft1,186 m |
| Yankton | 14,557 | 1,214 ft370 m |
| South Sioux City | 13,319 | 1,106 ft337 m |
Elevation sampled at each city centre from the Copernicus GLO-30 model. Cities and population from GeoNames (CC-BY 4.0).
Nebraska in comparison
Nebraska's terrain rises 4,583 ft (1,397 m) from Missouri River (840 ft (256 m)) to Panorama Point — about 16% of the height of Mount Everest, the world's highest point at 29,032 ft (8,849 m).
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest point in Nebraska?
- Panorama Point, 5,423 ft (1,653 m).
What is the average elevation of Nebraska?
- About 790 m according to the USGS; this page also reports the area-weighted mean computed from the Copernicus GLO-30 model, 2,605 ft (794 m).
What is the lowest point in Nebraska?
- Missouri River, 840 ft (256 m).
Panorama Point?
- Panorama Point, the high point, is a low swell on the High Plains higher than the highest point of many eastern states.
Where is the highest ground in Nebraska?
- Western Nebraska is High Plains and rugged country - the panhandle rising toward the Rockies, holding Panorama Point (1,653 m), the state high point, along with the Wildcat Hills, the Pine Ridge escar
Is this a topographic, relief, contour, or elevation map of Nebraska?
- They describe the same thing - terrain height. This page renders Nebraska's actual elevation surface in interactive 3D (a relief or topographic view) and reports the statistics computed from it; a contour map shows the same data as lines of equal height.
About this map
The terrain is rendered from the Copernicus GLO-30 digital elevation model (ESA), masked to the US-NE boundary from geoBoundaries (gbOpen). Elevation statistics are computed directly from the model; peak names and researched facts are sourced and cited. See the methodology for the full pipeline.
Our area-weighted mean, computed from the Copernicus GLO-30 model, is 2,605 ft (794 m); the figure commonly cited elsewhere is 2,592 ft (790 m) (U.S. Geological Survey). Nebraska's mean elevation is about 790 m; the page reports the area-weighted figure computed from the Copernicus GLO-30 model.
Surveyed national figures: official area · high point.
Rendered from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA, 2021 release), boundaries from geoBoundaries. Generated 2026-07-14.