Which South American capital city sits at about 2,640 meters above sea level? Bogotá is the Colombian capital at an average elevation of about 2,640 meters.
The city occupies a high plateau called the Bogotá savanna, part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Its altitude gives Bogotá a cool, mild climate despite its location near the Equator. The thinner air can also make exercise feel more demanding for visitors arriving from low elevations.
Bogotá was founded by the Spanish in 1538 and is now Colombia’s largest city and its political, economic, educational, and cultural centre. It is administered as a Capital District rather than as part of the surrounding department of Cundinamarca, although it lies within that broader Andean region.
The altitude is a useful way to distinguish it from the other options. Quito is also exceptionally high, at roughly 2,850 meters, while Santiago and Lima are much lower. Bogotá is often described as one of the world’s highest national capitals, though exact rankings depend on how elevation and city boundaries are measured.