In this article, we will take a look at the 30 cities with the highest altitudes in the world.
We can rank cities in a myriad of ways. And by this, no city can claim to be the best in every way. Tokyo, Japan, for example, might be the most populous city while not having the largest land area. We may have classified cities throughout the world in a variety of ways, but today we will rank them differently depending on their altitudes.
According to National Geographic, altitude, like elevation, is defined as the distance above sea level. Areas are typically referred to as “high-altitude” if they ascend at least 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) into the atmosphere. Surprisingly, at least 140 million people reside in high-altitude areas worldwide, despite the dearth of oxygen and associated health hazards. However, on top of that, a more surprising finding is that 2021 research titled Impact of Altitude on COVID-19 Infection and Death in the United States discovered that higher elevation reduces infection and death.
Freeway/Credit: Pixabay
Our Methodology
The altitude data used in this article is derived from the European Commission’s database of urban centers, with updated demographics provided by Thomas Brinkhoff’s City Population dataset. The parameters used were significant urban areas with a population of one million or more inhabitants and an elevation “floor” of 1,000m. Other sources were consulted to provide descriptions of each city in the discussion below.
Here are the 30 Cities with the highest altitudes in the world. Let’s look at the cities that came out on top.
30 Cities with the Highest Altitudes in the World
30. Kathmandu, Nepal
Average Elevation: 4,438.9764 feet
At an altitude of 4,344 feet (1,324 meters) above sea level, Kathmandu is situated in a mountainous area close to the meeting point of the Baghmati and Vishnumati rivers.
29. Kermanshah, Iran
Average Elevation: 4,458.661 feet
Kermanshah can be considered one of the highest elevation cities in the world. On the historic caravan route between the Mediterranean Sea and Central Asia, Kermanshah City is located in the lush Qareh Su River Valley.
28. Pretoria, South Africa
Average Elevation: 4,478.346 feet
Pretoria is the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa and is located in the province of Gauteng. Along with extending towards the western slopes of the Magaliesberg on the east, Pretoria spreads along both banks of the Apies River.
27. Tabriz, Iran
Average Elevation: 4,753.937 feet
Tabriz, the seat of the East Zarbyn province and Iran’s fourth-largest city, is located in the country’s far northwest at a height of 1,367 meters (4,485 ft). Continental weather may be found there, with hot, dry summers and very cold winters.
26. Guatemala City, Guatamela
Average Elevation: 4,799.869 feet
The largest city in Central America and the political, social, cultural, and economic hub of Guatemala is Guatamela, which is also the country’s capital. It has a mild and energizing alpine climate and is located in a valley of the central highlands at a height of 4,897 feet (1,493 meters) above sea level.
25. Kigali, Rwanda
Average Elevation: 4,832.6772 feet
Rwanda’s city and capital are Kigali. On the Ruganwa River, it is situated in the middle of the nation. After 1895, Kigali was a commercial hub under German colonial rule. From 1921 until 1962, Belgian colonial rule saw Kigali develop into a regional hub. When Rwanda gained independence in 1962, it was declared the nation’s capital.
24. Harare, Zimbabwe
Average Elevation: 4,852.3622 feet
Harare has a moderate climate and is located at an elevation of 4,865 feet (1,483 meters). It serves as the center of Zimbabwe’s industry and trade and is a transportation hub for air, ground, and train travel (the airport in neighboring Kentucky handles international traffic). Additionally, it serves as the primary hub for the distribution of local agricultural products, particularly Virginia tobacco.
23. Shiraz, Iran
Average Elevation: 5,154.1995 feet
At an elevation of 4,875 feet (1,486 meters), Shiraz is situated on an agricultural plain in the southern portion of the Zagros Mountains in central Fars. It is renowned for its wine.
22. Guadalajara, Mexico
Average Elevation: 5,193.5696 feet
Mexico’s west-central state of Jalisco has as its capital the city of Guadalajara. At a height of around 5,100 feet (1,550 meters), it is located in the Atemajac Valley next to the Ro Grande de Santiago, roughly in the state’s center. With the exception of the rainy season, which lasts from mid-July to mid-September, it has a dry and temperate climate.
21. Isfahan, Iran
Average Elevation: 5,206.6929 feet
The capital and largest city in western Iran is Eṣfahān, which is sometimes written Isfahan. About 210 miles (340 km) south of the capital city of Tehrn, Efahn is located on the north bank of the Zyandeh River at a height of about 5,200 feet (1,600 meters).
20. Lanzhou, China
Average Elevation: 5,229.6588 feet
Since 1949, Lanzhou has seen a transformation from a provincial capital of extreme poverty to the hub of a significant industrial region. It has developed into a hub for the nation’s petrochemical industry and has a sizable refinery that is connected through a pipeline to the oil resources at Yumen in western Gansu. It also produces machinery for the oil sector.
19. Srinagar, India
Average Elevation: 5,242.7822 feet
Srinagar is a city in northern India that serves as the winter and summer capitals of the Jammu and Kashmir union territory. Jammu serves as the summer capital. The city is located in the Kashmir Valley at a height of 5,200 feet (1,600 meters) along the Jhelum River’s banks.
18. Johannesburg, South Africa
Average Elevation: 5,328.084 feet
Johannesburg is 1,740 to 1,810 meters (5,700 to 5,930 feet) above sea level. There are not many natural lakes or tiny streams in Johannesburg. The city was founded because of the presence of gold, a more valuable resource.
17. Medellin, Colombia
Average Elevation: 5,416.6667 feet
Medelinn is located in the steep, temperate Aburrá Valley of the Cordillera Central, alongside the Porce River, a tributary of the Cauca, at an elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 meters), which is above sea level. It is one of the biggest cities in the country and is highly industrialized, especially in the steel sector.
16. Denver, United States
Average Elevation: 5,488.8451 feet
Denver’s elevation at the State Capitol, 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) above sea level, has earned it the moniker “Mile High City.”
15. Nairobi, Kenya
Average Elevation: 5,583.9895 feet
It is located in the highlands of the south-central region of the nation at a height of around 5,500 feet (1,680 meters). Nairobi is the nation’s capital city.
14. Kabul, Afghanistan
Average Elevation: 6,053.15 feet
Kabul is located in one of the area’s several high-altitude basins, at a height of around 5,900 feet (1,800 meters), in a triangle valley between the Āsamāʾī and Sherdawaza mountain ranges, in the country’s east-central region.
13. Leon, Mexico
Average Elevation: 6,053.15 feet
León, or León de los Aldamas, is a city in central Mexico’s northwest Guanajuato state. It is situated at a height of 6,182 feet (1,884 meters) above sea level in a lush plain beside the Turbio River.
12. San Luis, Potosi
Average Elevation: 6,145.013 feet
Northeastern Mexico’s San Luis Potosi state is centered on the city of the same name. At an elevation of 6,158 feet (1,877 meters) above sea level, it is located on the Mesa Central.
11. Kunming, China
Average Elevation: 6,312.336 feet
It is bordered by mountains to the north, west, and east and is located in the east-central region of the province in a lush lake basin on the northern bank of Lake Dian. Southwest China’s communication hub has long been Kunming.
10. Puebla, Mexico
Average Elevation: 7,139.108feet
Puebla, which was first named Puebla de Los Angeles in 1532, is located approximately 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Mexico City on a vast plain at an elevation of 7,093 feet (2,162 meters) above sea level.
9. Sana’a, Yemen
Average Elevation: 7,490.1575 feet
Yemen’s capital city, Sanaa. It is located in the country’s western region at a height of more than 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, near the western foot of Mount Nuqum. The main economic, political, and religious hub of the Yemen Highlands has long been Sanaa. Its name translates to “fortified place.”
8. Xining, China
Average Elevation: 7,542.6509 feet
Xining is located in northwest China, at an elevation of 2275 meters. It has a continental mid-drought climate with plenty of sunlight.
7. Mexico City, Mexico
Average Elevation: 7,598.4252 feet
Mexico City is located at a height of about 7,350 feet (2,240 meters), but total altitudes exceed 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).
6. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Average Elevation: 7,746.063 feet
Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa (“New Flower”), is located in the country’s center. Ethiopia is the most populous and biggest country in the Horn of Africa.
5. Bogota, Columbia
Average Elevation: 8,533.4646 feet
Colombia’s capital is Bogotá. It is located in central Colombia, in the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andes Mountains, in a lush highland basin 8,660 feet (2,640 meters) above sea level.
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. Cochabamba, Bolivia
Average Elevation: 8,599.0814 feet
Cochabamba, Bolivia’s gastronomic capital, is located at 2,558 meters above sea level and overlooks the lush soil of the Andean valley.
sunsinger/Shutterstock.com
3. Toluca, Mexico
Average Elevation: 8,687.664 feet
Toluca itself is located in a cold valley at a height of approximately 8,790 feet (2,680 meters), making it one of the highest elevation cities in North America.
Pixabay/Public Domain
2. Quito, Ecuador
Average Elevation: 9,133.858 feet
The University of Colorado’s Altitude Research Centre has discovered genes that help protect long-term high-altitude populations against altitude sickness. Native inhabitants in these places are born with greater oxygenation, larger lung capacities, and a higher ability for activity than humans who acclimate through time. Because of this, the Ecuador national football team famously plays all of its World Cup qualification games in Quito, at a height of 2,850 meters. Quito can be considered as the highest capital city in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
1. La Paz, Bolivia
Average Elevation: 12,693.57 feet
La Paz is the highest city in the world at 12,693.57 feet. Bolivia’s El Alto-La Paz metropolitan region, which has more than two million residents and is located at the top of the hierarchy, is at an average height of 3,869 meters above sea level. Two million people live in the metropolis, which is located more than 100 meters above Mount Fuji in Japan.
Pixabay/Public Domain
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Disclosure: None. 30 Cities with the Highest Altitudes in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
