Which U.S. state has the highest mean elevation?

Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. state.

Its average elevation is about 6,800 feet (2,070 meters) above sea level. Colorado’s high statewide average comes from the Rocky Mountains, which cover much of the state, rather than from one exceptionally tall summit alone. The state contains more than 50 fourteeners, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in the Rocky Mountains at 14,440 feet.

A common mix-up is confusing mean elevation with highest elevation. Alaska has the highest state high point, Denali, while Florida has the lowest mean elevation. Colorado’s distinction is based on averaging elevations across the entire state, including plains and valleys, not simply measuring its tallest mountain.

Colorado’s Front Range also gives the state its famous dramatic rise from the Great Plains to the Continental Divide. Nearby Wyoming and Utah are also high-elevation states, but their statewide averages remain lower.