How high is El Paso?
A live 3D slice of the terrain around El Paso, from our satellite elevation model. El Paso is marked at 3,730 ft (1,137 m); the highest ground in view reaches 7,126 ft (2,172 m). Drag to spin it (tap to start on mobile).
The regional view — El Paso.
Elevation across El Paso
Zooming into the city itself — El Paso’s 19 neighborhoods on real terrain, each marked with its elevation.
El Paso’s neighborhoods span about 410 ft (about 120 m) — from 3,681 ft (1,122 m) at San Jose, up to 4,088 ft (1,246 m) at Coronado Hills. Each figure is a Copernicus GLO-30 sample at the neighborhood’s USGS place-name point.
| Neighborhood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Coronado Hillshighest | 4,088 ft (1,246 m) |
| Mission Hills | 4,078 ft (1,243 m) |
| Sunrise Acres | 3,999 ft (1,219 m) |
| Cielo Vista | 3,950 ft (1,204 m) |
| Aero Vista | 3,921 ft (1,195 m) |
| Del Norte Acres | 3,917 ft (1,194 m) |
| Britton Davis | 3,885 ft (1,184 m) |
| Mountain View | 3,885 ft (1,184 m) |
| Buena Vista | 3,812 ft (1,162 m) |
| La Guna | 3,783 ft (1,153 m) |
| Del Norte Heights | 3,783 ft (1,153 m) |
| Montoya | 3,766 ft (1,148 m) |
| Smeltertown | 3,737 ft (1,139 m) |
| Loma Terrace | 3,730 ft (1,137 m) |
| Hacienda Heights | 3,707 ft (1,130 m) |
| Alfalfa | 3,694 ft (1,126 m) |
| Lakeside | 3,688 ft (1,124 m) |
| Tigua | 3,688 ft (1,124 m) |
| San Joselowest | 3,681 ft (1,122 m) |
| El Paso (city center) | 3,730 ft (1,137 m) |
El Paso in Texas
Here’s the useful context: El Paso, at 3,730 ft (1,137 m), sits roughly 2,073 ft (632 m) above Texas’s average elevation of 1,657 ft (505 m). It is one of the higher places in its state — our model puts only about 10% of Texas’s land higher.
The terrain around El Paso
The ground right around El Paso is fairly even, close to 3,730 ft (1,137 m), so the city itself feels level underfoot. But the window still catches higher country: the terrain climbs to 7,126 ft (2,172 m) toward the east edge of the view, which is what gives El Paso its mountain backdrop.
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 El Paso’s altitude means
High-altitude medicine marks about ~8,000 ft (2,400 m) as the line where thin air starts to cause real trouble, and El Paso, at 3,730 ft (1,137 m), sits comfortably below it. You won’t get altitude sickness just by arriving. But this is high enough that many people notice something on the first day.
The air is meaningfully thinner than at the coast, so expect a quicker pulse, a little breathlessness on stairs, and faster dehydration in dry air — and alcohol tends to hit harder. None of it is dangerous at this elevation; it just rewards drinking more water and taking the first evening easy.
How El Paso compares
Among Texas’s larger cities, El Paso is the highest by elevation. For a familiar yardstick, that puts it well below Denver’s mile-high 5,280 ft (1,609 m).
- El Paso — 3,730 ft (1,137 m)
- Amarillo — 3,671 ft (1,119 m)
- Lubbock — 3,205 ft (977 m)
- San Antonio — 663 ft (202 m)
- Austin — 505 ft (154 m)
- Dallas — 436 ft (133 m)
- Laredo — 427 ft (130 m)
El Paso elevation FAQ
- How high is El Paso?
- El Paso’s elevation is about 3,730 ft (1,137 m) above sea level at the city center, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data.
- Is El Paso high or low for Texas?
- High. At 3,730 ft (1,137 m) it sits above Texas’s average of 1,657 ft (505 m), with only about 10% of the state higher.
- Does El Paso’s altitude affect visitors?
- Mildly. At 3,730 ft (1,137 m) it’s below the ~8,000 ft (2,400 m) line where altitude sickness usually begins, but the thinner, drier air can still bring a faster pulse and quicker dehydration on the first day.
Explore more
- ↑ Texas’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 Texas’s 1,657 ft (505 m) mean ranks.
- · Blog: Elevation vs Altitude — what a city’s elevation figure actually measures.
El Paso’s elevation is a native ~30 m windowed-median sample from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA); the Texas figures are computed across the state from the same model. The 3D view is a fine windowed sample at roughly 200 m resolution, sharp enough to resolve the surrounding ridgelines. Neighborhood and landmark place names are from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS); their elevations are Copernicus GLO-30 samples at each named point. Data as of 2026-08-17.