- You can find your elevation on Google Maps by turning on the “Terrain” function.
- However, Google Maps doesn’t show elevation by default, and only shows elevation in mountainous areas – it doesn’t report elevation everywhere, especially in cities or other areas that lack naturally elevated grounds.
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Google Maps has revolutionized how people get from point A to point B, and even how they discover new locations. Included in Google Maps‘ wide variety of features are options to see terrain and elevation, allowing people in mountainous regions to have a better feel for the altitude of the area they’re exploring.
Users can turn on the Google Maps terrain feature using a desktop or mobile device. Note that Google Maps does not report elevation for all areas – only naturally mountainous land will have an elevation option.
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How to find elevation on Google Maps in a web browser
1. Type https://www.google.com/maps into your web browser on a Mac or PC.
2. Type your location into the search bar on the left side. You can either type in a specific address, or a more general location.
3. Click the "Menu" bar, which is next to the search bar and is represented by the three horizontal lines in the top-left.
4. Hit "Terrain" to show topography and elevation. Make sure that "View topography and elevation" is turned on in the "Terrain" slider at the bottom of the map. Toggle it on by clicking on the slider, which will turn blue when on.
5. Zoom into the area on the map where you want to see the elevation by clicking the "+" sign in the bottom-right corner of the screen. The numbers will appear as you get closer. If you zoom in too far, the contour and elevation lines will disappear.
How to find elevation on Google Maps on a mobile device
1. Open the Google Maps app or type https://www.google.com/maps into a web browser. Type your location into the search bar.
2. On the app, tap the "Map" icon at the top right and select Terrain under "Map type." In a web browser, click the "Menu" bar, the three horizontal lines in the top-left, and select Terrain.
3. In the app, close out of the menu by hitting the gray "X" at the top-right.
4. Elevation lines will appear as you zoom in and out. Note that the numbers may be faint, as they are written into the contours of the map.
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