Wisconsin Elevation ToolsOpen Add Elevation on the map →

Terrain · Click a point

Find the ground elevation at any point in Wisconsin

Get the elevation at a point in Wisconsin: click the map and the tool returns the ground elevation in feet, interpolated from the USGS 3DEP lidar elevation model.

A quick spot elevation for a floor level, a water tank, a pump or a survey check, and the difference between two places.

Free to run · pay to download

Free to run, and free to save as a PNG image of the map. This tool has no file export of its own. For the terrain as a file, Download Data exports contours, a GeoTIFF or a 3D mesh with a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months.

Open Add Elevation on the map →Pass prices and what’s included

Who uses this

  • Owners and plumbers. Work out the fall from a tank or a well to the house.
  • Surveyors. Sanity-check an elevation against the USGS model.

When to use it

  • You need a spot elevation for a floor level, a water tank, a pump or a survey check.
  • You want to confirm the elevation difference between two places quickly.

Tools for your job

Add Elevation is one step in a bigger question. These are the jobs it helps with, and the tools that go with it.

For the job: Plans, CAD, GIS and 3D printing

I need the terrain as a file.

  1. 1.Download Data — Contours, a GeoTIFF elevation model, a georeferenced aerial photo or a 3D mesh for printing.
  2. 2.Contour Lines — Contours previewed on the map before you export them.
  3. 3.Elevate a File — Adds ground elevation to your own GPX, KML, GeoJSON or CSV points.
  4. 4.Add Elevation (this tool) — A single spot elevation, for a floor level or a tank.
  5. 5.Terrain Stats — The highest, lowest and mean ground elevation of an area, and how the land is spread between them.

How to use it

  1. Open Add Elevation and click the map. The elevation appears in the panel and as a marker.
  2. Click again for another point. Use Elevation Profile for a whole line.

Step by step: Devils Lake

We read a spot elevation on the bluffs above Devils Lake.

1.Open Add Elevation and click anywhere.

2.The panel shows the ground elevation in feet above NAVD 88 at the point, and the resolution it was read at. Click again to read another point.

What it showed

  • For a line of elevations, use Elevation Profile; for a whole file of points, use Elevate a File.
Try it yourself on Devils Lake →

How it works

The USGS 3DEP bare-earth model is sampled at the clicked coordinate, interpolating between the four nearest cells so the value is not snapped to a grid.

Reading the results

Feet above NAVD 88, which is close to mean sea level. Compare with a survey benchmark before using it for design elevations.

Limits and caveats

  • Outside the finest lidar work units, 3DEP can use older lidar at about 9.8 ft per pixel or a coarser model at about 33 ft per pixel. Fine output spacing cannot recover missing source detail. Lidar coverage and source dates vary across Wisconsin. Check your site against the USGS 3DEP work-unit index; an unavailable lookup means coverage is unknown.
  • Bare ground only. On a deck or a roof the value is the ground beneath it.

Data and attribution

Results come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth elevation model: lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel where it has been flown, with older lidar at about 9.8 ft per pixel and coarser sources at about 33 ft per pixel elsewhere, with elevations above NAVD 88. The optional surface model is limited to Brown County. Outside usable regional data, Sunlight, Viewshed and Sightline fall back to bare earth; Object Heights needs usable surface data. Surface and ground source dates can differ.

USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. Wisconsin parcel boundaries are aggregated local-government data, not legal surveys; the parcel disclaimer accompanies the selection. Brown County surface data is credited separately when used. The Esri aerial basemap follows Esri’s terms and is display-only; downloadable aerial photos use USGS NAIP.

Questions

Is this elevation above sea level?

It is feet above NAVD 88, the national vertical datum, which is close to mean sea level. Compare with a benchmark before using it for design elevations.

Ready to try it?

Open Add Elevation on the map →

Free to use, no account. The analysis runs in your browser on public-domain USGS 3DEP data. Downloading the results needs a pass: see pricing.