Elevation, time & sun
What is my elevation?
One tap reads where your device is, then the hub asks a global terrain model how high the ground is right beneath you — shown large in meters and feet, with a map, a plain-spoken accuracy note and a couple of altitude facts. Your coordinates are used only to fetch that height and are never kept. Want the elevation of a place you name instead? See places.app.
What is elevation?
Elevation (or altitude) is the vertical height of a point above mean sea level, measured in meters or feet. It describes how high the ground is, not how high you are flying or standing. The same point can be written as a height plus a latitude and longitude on the WGS84 datum.
How to find your elevation
- Tap “Use my location” and allow the browser to access your position when prompted.
- We send only those coordinates to a terrain-elevation service and read back the ground height.
- See your elevation shown big in both meters and feet, with a map marker and accuracy note.
- Copy any value, or open the exact point in Google Maps.
Elevation accuracy by source
| Source | Typical accuracy | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain model (DEM, used here) | ±2–5 m (≈8–16 ft) | Ground height at a coordinate, anywhere on Earth |
| Phone GPS altitude | ±10–30 m (often worse) | Rough, real-time height of the device |
| Barometric altimeter | ±1–3 m when calibrated | Relative height changes (hiking, stairs) |
| Surveyed benchmark | Centimeter-level | Engineering and official reference points |
Why DEM elevation, not your phone’s altimeter?
Your phone reports GPS altitude that can swing by tens of meters, so we instead look up the ground height at your coordinates from a digital elevation model (DEM). This gives a stable, repeatable figure for the terrain itself. To check the height of a place you are not standing at, try elevation by address.
Uses for knowing your elevation
Hikers and cyclists track climb and altitude; pilots and drone operators check ground level; runners adjust pace for thin air; and gardeners and brewers care because water boils cooler as you go up. It also pairs well with our coordinate converter and my location tools.