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How do I find the average elevation of a city, town, county, or other civil division?

Average (or mean) elevations for civil divisions are not available from the USGS.   

You can, however, find the elevation at the center of a civil division using the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS): 

Go to the GNIS Search Domestic Names

  • Select "Search Domestic Names" 

  • In the Name box, type the city, town, county, etc. name (for example, “Stanley,” “Richmond,” "Madison County")

  • In the "Feature Classes" option, select "Civil"

  • Under "Feature", select the appropriate state and county

  • Click "Query"

  • Once the entry is displayed, click on “Details” to view the Summary Report to see the elevation at the center of the civil division