Last updated · MapElevation
Find the elevation of an address
An address elevation lookup starts with a place description, not a measured point. Enter enough information to distinguish your property from similarly named streets elsewhere. A complete street address, locality, state, and postal code gives the matching service more context than a house number alone. Review the returned option before treating it as the intended place.
After a match, the map pin and the elevation card work together. The height is an estimate at the matched coordinate. It is not an average for the parcel and does not describe the height of each room, floor, or corner of the building. If your question is about the elevation of your home address, checking the location is an essential part of checking the answer.
How to use this page
- Submit a complete supported US street address.
- Review the match and check whether the pin represents the intended place.
- Read the surface estimate and its source metadata.
- For a building or flood decision, collect the relevant official or surveyed records.
How address matching works
US submissions currently go through the US Census Geocoder. The service identifies a coordinate associated with the supplied address; the elevation tool then samples terrain at that coordinate. These are distinct steps with distinct failure states. An address may match successfully while terrain loading fails, or a terrain-covered area may have an address that the geocoder cannot match.
Automatic suggestions and worldwide address matching depend on an optional provider configuration. The interface identifies what is available rather than sending every keystroke to a no-key US lookup. If you already know the location’s coordinates, the elevation finder bypasses address interpretation. If you are physically at the place, what is my elevation offers a browser-location route, subject to device positioning uncertainty.
Check that the map pin matches your property
Look for nearby streets, water, major buildings, and other landmarks. A pin positioned along a street range can be useful for navigation while remaining unsuitable for selecting a particular roof or foundation. The Census documentation explains its address-range geocoding approach. A visible building shape on the basemap should not be mistaken for proof that the address matcher selected that building.
You can select another map point for a general comparison, but the terrain’s original spacing still limits the information available. A parcel can span multiple cells, and a small structure may share a pixel with vegetation or adjacent land. Read the elevation data accuracy guide before using differences between nearby points as evidence of a building-scale feature.
Why an address elevation is not a floor elevation
The current source is a digital surface model. Its surface may include objects above bare ground, and it does not encode a certified first-floor elevation or the lowest ground touching a structure. A number reported beside a familiar street address can appear more specific than the underlying evidence supports. The source and grade label are therefore part of the answer, not optional technical details.
For building records, the elevation certificate guide explains what to request from a local floodplain manager or qualified professional. For a flood map question, use flood zone by address. If a published base flood elevation by address is available, do not subtract this map’s DSM height from it without verifying both the measured feature and vertical reference.
Follow the right route for a coastal or property question
The sea level rise map shows a deliberately limited coastal scenario with model assumptions. It cannot promise whether a particular house will flood. The LOMA flood guide likewise describes the records needed for a map amendment review, rather than deriving eligibility from an address pixel.
A verified address example must record the address matcher, selected coordinate, query date, and terrain reading together. Until those details have been checked, no house elevation is supplied as an example. In your own use, keep the map position in view, retry service failures when appropriate, and choose professional measurements when the decision requires property-specific accuracy.
Data sources and accuracy
Elevation estimates currently use Copernicus GLO-30, a digital surface model (DSM), sampled from Mapterhorn terrain tiles at zoom 12. Original resolution is approximately 30 metres: our Grade C. Buildings, trees, location errors, and the source vertical reference affect interpretation. A grid resolution is not a vertical error guarantee. The reference is the EGM2008 geoid; a reading must not be subtracted from a FEMA flood elevation in another datum.
Read about elevation data accuracy, source-specific limitations, and our current regional coverage.
Terrain licence and attribution
produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of my address?
Submit a complete US street address and inspect the matched location. The tool samples the surface model at that coordinate and displays feet or metres. This is a location-based estimate, not a measured elevation of your house’s ground floor, foundation, or lowest adjacent grade.
Can I check addresses outside the United States?
US address matching is available through the Census service without an API key. Worldwide address search is shown only when the additional geocoder is configured. You can still select terrain locations around the world on the map or enter known coordinates without using address matching.
Why is the marker on the street instead of my house?
A geocoder can interpolate an address position from street address ranges rather than locate a building entrance or rooftop. Review the marker and move it if needed for general terrain exploration. Moving a pin cannot replace a property survey or establish a particular building measurement.
Does the result tell me my first-floor height?
No. The result is sampled from a digital surface model. A first-floor measurement, ground elevation around a structure, and the surface pixel can all refer to different physical features. An Elevation Certificate contains building-specific information that a global map lookup cannot supply.
Is the elevation of my address enough to assess flooding?
No. A mapped height does not identify every flood mechanism or establish your FEMA zone. You need the effective flood map and any applicable flood elevations, with matching references for a valid comparison. Drainage, local topography, buildings, and other factors can also affect actual exposure.
What can I do if my address is not found?
Check the street number, street name, city, state, and postal code, then submit again. If the service remains unavailable, select the location on the map or use coordinates. A failed address match does not mean the place has no terrain data or lies outside a flood zone.