Elevation of Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá elevation at a glance

Colombia's capital spreads across the Sabana de Bogotá, a flat high basin in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes that was once the bed of a lake. The plain is remarkably level, so most of the city lies within a few tens of metres of 2,600 m. To the east, the city ends abruptly at the Cerros Orientales, a wall of forested mountains. The sanctuary of Monserrate, reached by cable car and funicular, stands on top of them at roughly 3,150 m, about 500 m above the streets of La Candelaria below. The Bogotá River crosses the western edge of the plain, which is the lowest part of the city.

Eternal spring at 2,600 metres

Bogotá lies only about 4.6° north of the equator, yet its height makes it cool all year: days are often mild, nights chilly, and rain can come in any month. Locals call the climate an eternal spring or an eternal autumn depending on their mood. Air pressure is about a quarter lower than at sea level, and water boils at roughly 91 °C.

For visitors, the height is noticeable mainly when climbing stairs or hiking to Monserrate on foot, a climb of about 500 m that locals use as weekend exercise.

Which number is right?

GeoNames' 2,582 m comes from its gazetteer point and the radar elevation model; the familiar 2,640 m is the figure usually given for the city as a whole. Both describe the plain. The map gives the ground height where you click, which is the number to use for a particular address.

How to find the elevation of a place in Bogotá

1. The map opens on the city point and shows its elevation in the panel.
2. Search for another place or zoom in to the street, park or plot you want.
3. Click the exact spot; each click adds a point with its height in metres and feet.
4. Switch to feet if you prefer, copy the share link, or download the points as CSV or GeoJSON.

The map opens on the GeoNames point for Bogotá and reads its height straight away. Heights come from the open Terrain Tiles dataset and are read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. A city has no single elevation: the number depends on the spot, so the values on this page are a guide, and official heights come from the national mapping agency. Read more in how to find the elevation of a location.