US Elevation Map and Hillshade

There are several ways to view elevation in the United States. But the most common way to see a US elevation map is by using:

• Digital elevation model
• Hillshade surface
• Physical map

Let’s check out all 3 ways to see how height changes in America.

1. US Elevation Map

First, this US elevation map depicts height by increasing color. In this map, elevation ranges from 0 to 13,100 feet above sea level. For metric system users, it goes from 0 to 4000 meters. But keep in mind that some mountains extend beyond this peak elevation. For example, Denali, Alaska rises 6190.5 m and appears orange.

2. US Hillshade Map

The alternate way to view elevation is by using a hillshade surface. As the name implies, it shades peaks and valleys based on the position and angle of the sun. For example, here is a US hillshade map, which equally displays elevation. But it’s in a much more unique way and highlights peaks and valleys.

I’ve also found a neat resource from USGS. It uses the National Elevation Dataset (NED) for shaded relief images of each state in the U.S. Click a state and see its elevation. You can also download a JPG. It’s as simple as that.