Boiling Point at Altitude

Find the temperature water boils at for your elevation, and why high-altitude cooking takes longer.

Elevation	5,280
In	feet

Elevation

Water boils at

94.7 °C (202.4 °F)

Air pressure is about 83.4 kPa (82% of sea level). Water boils 5.3 °C lower than at sea level, so boiled foods cook more slowly.

Boiling point by elevation

Elevation	Pressure	Boils at
0 m (0 ft)	101.3 kPa	100 °C
500 m (1,640 ft)	95.5 kPa	98.3 °C
1,000 m (3,281 ft)	89.9 kPa	96.7 °C
1,500 m (4,921 ft)	84.6 kPa	95 °C
2,000 m (6,562 ft)	79.5 kPa	93.4 °C
2,500 m (8,202 ft)	74.7 kPa	91.7 °C
3,000 m (9,843 ft)	70.1 kPa	90 °C
4,000 m (13,123 ft)	61.6 kPa	86.7 °C
5,000 m (16,404 ft)	54 kPa	83.3 °C

About the Boiling Point at Altitude

Water boils when its vapour pressure equals the air pressure. Higher up, air pressure is lower, so water boils at a lower temperature: about 95 °C in Denver (1,609 m) and 86 °C at 4,000 m. Pasta, beans and boiled eggs therefore take longer, and recipes may need adjusting. Pressure comes from the International Standard Atmosphere; the boiling point from the Antoine equation for water. Weather changes pressure by a few percent.

The formula

P = 101.325 × (1 − 2.25577×10⁻⁵ h)^5.25588 kPa; log₁₀(P_mmHg) = 8.07131 − 1730.63 ÷ (233.426 + T)

Worked example

Example: Water boils at = 94.1 °C (201.4 °F)

Inputs: Elevation: 5,800; In: feet.
Formula: P = 101.325 × (1 − 2.25577×10⁻⁵ h)^5.25588 kPa; log₁₀(P_mmHg) = 8.07131 − 1730.63 ÷ (233.426 + T)
Result: Water boils at = 94.1 °C (201.4 °F)

Questions people ask

Does salt raise the boiling point much?

Barely: a tablespoon in a pot raises it by well under 1 °C.

Why does a pressure cooker help?

It raises the pressure, so water boils at about 120 °C.