Boiling Point of Water by Altitude
212°F at sea level
About 1°F lower per 500 ft
Air pressure drops as you go up, so water boils at a lower temperature: about 208°F at 2,000 ft, 203°F at 5,000 ft and 194°F at 10,000 ft. Food in boiling water cooks more slowly, but oven temperatures and safe internal temperatures do not change.
Sources: USDA FSIS: High altitude cooking and food safety; National Center for Home Food Preservation: Temperatures at which water boils. Checked Oct 13, 2026.
Open the altitude calculator for candy, jelly and cake adjustments at your exact elevation.
Boiling point chart
| Elevation | Water boils at |
|---|---|
| Sea level | 212°F 100°C |
| 500 ft | 211.1°F 99.5°C |
| 1,000 ft | 210.2°F 99°C |
| 1,500 ft | 209.3°F 98.5°C |
| 2,000 ft | 208.4°F 98°C |
| 2,500 ft | 207.5°F 97.5°C |
| 3,000 ft | 206.5°F 96.9°C |
| 3,500 ft | 205.6°F 96.4°C |
| 4,000 ft | 204.7°F 95.9°C |
| 4,500 ft | 203.8°F 95.4°C |
| 5,000 ft | 202.9°F 94.9°C |
| 5,500 ft | 202°F 94.4°C |
| 6,000 ft | 201.1°F 93.9°C |
| 6,500 ft | 200.2°F 93.4°C |
| 7,000 ft | 199.3°F 92.9°C |
| 7,500 ft | 198.3°F 92.4°C |
| 8,000 ft | 197.4°F 91.9°C |
| 8,500 ft | 196.5°F 91.4°C |
| 9,000 ft | 195.6°F 90.9°C |
| 9,500 ft | 194.7°F 90.4°C |
| 10,000 ft | 193.8°F 89.9°C |
Calculated from standard air pressure at each elevation. Agrees with USDA's printed table within about 1°F; weather can shift the real boiling point by a degree or two.
Find your city
Boiling points for 268 US cities of 10,000+ people sitting at 2,000 ft or higher, with candy, jelly and baking adjustments for each.
- Arizona 16
- California 19
- Colorado 53
- Idaho 24
- Kansas 4
- Montana 8
- Nebraska 4
- Nevada 5
- New Mexico 19
- North Carolina 4
- North Dakota 1
- Oklahoma 1
- Oregon 7
- South Dakota 3
- Texas 19
- Utah 62
- Virginia 2
- Washington 5
- West Virginia 1
- Wyoming 11
What changes at high altitude
- USDA treats 3,000 ft and above as high altitude for cooking.
- Food cooked in water or steam takes longer. USDA says meat and poultry cooked by moist heat may need up to a quarter more time at 5,000 ft. Turning up the heat does not help.
- Oven roasting times and temperatures stay the same, and so do safe internal temperatures (165°F for poultry, 145°F for whole cuts of beef and pork).
- Candy and jelly: lower the finish temperature by the difference between your boiling point and 212°F, about 2°F per 1,000 ft (Colorado State University Extension).
Sources: USDA FSIS: High altitude cooking and food safety; Colorado State University Extension: High altitude food preparation guide. Checked Oct 13, 2026.