Skip to content

Cities in China Ranked by Elevation

Elevation above sea level as recorded in Wikidata (usually at the city centre). Source: Wikidata (CC0 1.0 (public domain)).

Summary

Nagqu ranks #1 with 4,500 m above sea level. Lhasa is second with 3,650 m above sea level, 23.3% behind. The top five are Nagqu, Lhasa, Chamdo, Golmud and Lijiang. The median across all 166 is 148 m above sea level; Qingdao is last at 0 m above sea level.

#1: Nagqu · 4,500 m above sea level
Median: 148 m above sea level
Coverage: 166 cities in China
Data year: As recorded in Wikidata
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: Elevation (m above sea level). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Nagqu 4,500; 2. Lhasa 3,650; 3. Chamdo 3,240; 4. Golmud 2,809; 5. Lijiang 2,400; 6. Xining 2,275; 7. Zhaotong 1,926; 8. Kunming 1,892; 9. Qujing 1,873; 10. Guyuan 1,777.

Full ranking

Cities in China Ranked by Elevation
Rank	City	Country	Elevation (m above sea level)
1	Nagqu	China	4,500
2	Lhasa	China	3,650
3	Chamdo	China	3,240
4	Golmud	China	2,809
5	Lijiang	China	2,400
6	Xining	China	2,275
7	Zhaotong	China	1,926
8	Kunming	China	1,892
9	Qujing	China	1,873
10	Guyuan	China	1,777
11	Bijie	China	1,723
12	Baiyin	China	1,698
13	Baoshan	China	1,677
14	Shiyan	China	1,640
15	Lanzhou	China	1,572
16	Lincang	China	1,517
17	Jiuquan	China	1,483
18	Pingliang	China	1,398
19	Anshun	China	1,380
20	Ulanqab	China	1,378
21	Pu'er City	China	1,306
22	Ordos City	China	1,305
23	Guiyang	China	1,275
24	Kashgar	China	1,270
25	Tianshui	China	1,171
26	Panzhihua	China	1,157
27	Wuhai	China	1,150
28	Yinchuan	China	1,100
29	Yulin	China	1,084
30	Hohhot	China	1,065
31	Baotou	China	1,065
32	Datong	China	1,042
33	Yan'an	China	975
34	Lüliang	China	952
35	Zunyi	China	865
36	Ürümqi	China	800
37	Taiyuan	China	800
38	Ruili	China	777
39	Hami	China	759
40	Zhangjiakou	China	716
41	Zaozhuang	China	624
42	Chifeng	China	586
43	Ya'an	China	580
44	Baoji	China	570
45	Chengdu	China	500
46	Zhoushan	China	500
47	Hanzhong	China	500
48	Mianyang	China	473
49	Baishan	China	471
50	Linfen	China	452
51	Xi'an	China	405
52	Bazhong	China	392
53	Sanmenxia	China	376
54	Tonghua	China	374
55	Yuncheng	China	370
56	Karamay	China	354
57	Nanchong	China	340
58	Chengde	China	327
59	Yibin	China	321
60	Hegang	China	280
61	Luzhou	China	262
62	Liaoyuan	China	260
63	Chongqing	China	237
64	Mudanjiang	China	233
65	Jixi	China	230
66	Changchun	China	222
67	Haikou	China	222
68	Ruzhou	China	220
69	Gongzhuling	China	215
70	Qitaihe	China	209
71	Jilin City	China	202
72	Hechi	China	195
73	Huai'an	China	194
74	Meihekou	China	180
75	Ji'an	China	180
76	Tongliao	China	179
77	Chaoyang	China	170
78	Tai'an	China	167
79	Siping	China	164
80	Baicheng	China	154
81	Guilin	China	153
82	Ningbo	China	150
83	Daqing	China	149
84	Qiqihar	China	147
85	Luoyang	China	144
86	Jiaozuo	China	139
87	Baise	China	137
88	Songyuan	China	133
89	Yunfu	China	133
90	Benxi	China	131
91	Nanyang	China	131
92	Harbin	China	118
93	Ganzhou	China	107
94	Hezhou	China	107
95	Meizhou	China	96
96	Nanping	China	89
97	Jiamusi	China	83
98	Shijiazhuang	China	83
99	Kaifeng	China	75
100	Linyi	China	74

Showing the top 100 of 166. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#1 Nagqu

Nagqu ranks #1 on this list with 4,500 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 504,838 people (2020)
Area: 450,540 km²
Density: 1 people per km²
Elevation: 4,500 m
Coordinates: 31.48° N, 92.06° E

Full city profile

#2 Lhasa

Lhasa ranks #2 on this list with 3,650 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 867,891 people (2020)
Area: 29,634 km²
Density: 29 people per km²
Elevation: 3,650 m
Founded: 633
Coordinates: 29.65° N, 91.14° E

Full city profile

#3 Chamdo

Chamdo ranks #3 on this list with 3,240 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 760,966 people (2020)
Area: 109,820 km²
Density: 7 people per km²
Elevation: 3,240 m
Coordinates: 31.14° N, 97.18° E

Full city profile

#4 Golmud

Golmud ranks #4 on this list with 2,809 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 221,863 people (2020)
Area: 119,170 km²
Density: 2 people per km²
Elevation: 2,809 m
Coordinates: 36.74° N, 93.54° E

Full city profile

#5 Lijiang

Lijiang ranks #5 on this list with 2,400 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 1,253,878 people (2020)
Area: 20,555 km²
Density: 61 people per km²
Elevation: 2,400 m
Coordinates: 26.88° N, 100.22° E

Also ranks #3 in elevation · #64 in area · #378 in latitude.

Full city profile

#6 Xining

Xining ranks #6 on this list with 2,275 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 2,467,965 people (2020)
Area: 7,607 km²
Density: 324 people per km²
Elevation: 2,275 m
Coordinates: 36.62° N, 101.78° E

Also ranks #6 in elevation · #161 in latitude · #226 in area.

Full city profile Weather in Xining (Purr Weather)

#7 Zhaotong

Zhaotong ranks #7 on this list with 1,926 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 5,092,611 people (2020)
Area: 22,439 km²
Density: 227 people per km²
Elevation: 1,926 m
Coordinates: 27.33° N, 103.71° E

Also ranks #9 in elevation · #53 in area · #143 in population.

Full city profile

#8 Kunming

Kunming ranks #8 on this list with 1,892 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 8,460,088 people (2020)
Area: 21,013 km²
Density: 403 people per km²
Elevation: 1,892 m
Coordinates: 25.04° N, 102.71° E

Also ranks #10 in elevation · #62 in area · #67 in population.

Full city profile Weather in Kunming (Purr Weather)

#9 Qujing

Qujing ranks #9 on this list with 1,873 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 5,765,775 people (2020)
Area: 28,936 km²
Density: 199 people per km²
Elevation: 1,873 m
Coordinates: 25.51° N, 103.80° E

Also ranks #11 in elevation · #31 in area · #113 in population.

Full city profile

#10 Guyuan

Guyuan ranks #10 on this list with 1,777 m above sea level.

Country: China
Population: 1,142,142 people (2020)
Area: 10,523 km²
Density: 109 people per km²
Elevation: 1,777 m
Coordinates: 36.01° N, 106.28° E

Also ranks #14 in elevation · #176 in latitude · #177 in area.

Full city profile

Profile facts: Wikidata (CC0).

Source and method

Elevation above sea level as recorded in Wikidata (usually at the city centre).

Source: Wikidata. Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain). Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

Data: Wikidata (CC0)

Values are shown as published. Provider terms: Wikidata. All licences: Sources & licences.