Elevation Map of Colorado

This Colorado topographic elevation map shows the Centennial State in 24 terraced elevation bands. The scale runs from 1,011 meters (3,317 ft) up to 4,401 meters (14,439 ft). Each band steps through the relief in sequence, so the map reads like a physical relief model. Lowlands appear in deep greens, middle elevations warm into golds and reds, and the highest terrain fades into grays and whites.

Colorado covers about 269,601 square kilometers (104,092 sq mi). Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state. In fact, even its lowest river bottom sits higher than the high points of 18 other states.

Highest Point in Colorado

Mount Elbert, at 14,439 ft (4,401 m), is the highest point in Colorado. On this topographic map, it anchors the pale summit end of the elevation scale.

Lowest Point in Colorado

The lowest point in Colorado is the Arikaree River near the Kansas border, at an elevation of 3,317 ft (1,011 m). On the relief map, this terrain fills the deep green base of the color scale.

Colorado Map Datasets

I prepared this relief map with elevation data from the AWS Terrain Tiles dataset. The dataset builds on the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) along with other open topographic sources, and it serves global elevation data as map tiles that anyone can access.

The map spaces its 24 elevation bands with a blend of two methods. Half of the spacing follows equal elevation steps. The other half follows equal land area, a technique known as histogram equalization.

Why blend them? A fixed interval scale would leave flatter regions sitting in a single color, which hides their topography.

On the other hand, full histogram equalization would push a quarter of the land into summit tones. The blend lets this elevation map use the entire relief palette while the legend stays honest. Each label marks the true elevation behind its band, which is why the values are not evenly spaced.