The following table ranks the 50 highest

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

county-equivalent In the United States, a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, wh ...

s by mean elevation. This list uses the "mean of extremes" elevation which is the

arithmetic mean In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean ( ) or arithmetic average, or just the ''mean'' or the ''average'' (when the context is clear), is the sum of a collection of numbers divided by the count of numbers in the collection. The colle ...

of the highest and lowest elevations. The highest U.S. county by mean elevation is

Lake County, Colorado ''Lake County'' is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,436. The county seat and the only municipality in the county is Leadville. The highest natural point in Colorado and the entire Rock ...

, the location of

Mount Elbert Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains, the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States (after Mount Whitney). The ultra-prominent fourteener is the highest peak ...

and

Mount Massive Mount Massive is the second-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent fourteener of the Sawatch Range is located in the Mount Massive Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, west ...

, the two highest summits of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

of the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Of these 50 highest counties, 34 counties are located in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, four counties in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, four counties in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, three counties in

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, two boroughs in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, and one county each in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. __TOC__

Highest U.S. counties

Gallery

Mt._Elbert.jpg,

(1) Uncompahgre_peak.jpg,

Uncompahgre Peak Uncompahgre Peak () is the List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains#Highest prominent summits, sixth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The Topographic prominence, prominent fourteener i ...

Hinsdale County, Colorado Hinsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 788, making it the second-least populous county in Colorado. With a population density of only , it is also the least-densely populated ...

(2) Vermilion_Peak,_San_Juan_Mountains,_San_Juan_and_San_Miguel_Counties,_Colorado,_USA_01.jpg,

Vermilion Peak Vermilion Peak is a mountain in Colorado. It is one of 637 Colorado peaks above 13,000 feet (3962 m). It is located in the San Juan Range, and is the 74th highest mountain in Colorado. It is named Vermilion Peak because of the red-orange color i ...

straddling

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

(4) and San Miguel (30) counties,

Grays_and_Torreys_Peaks_2006-08-06.jpg,

Grays Peak Grays Peak is the tenth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent fourteener is the highest summit of the Front Range and the highest point on the Continental Divide and the Conti ...

straddling

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

(5) and Clear Creek (11) counties,

MtBlancaEast.jpg,

Mount Blanca Blanca Peak ( Navajo: ) is the fourth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The ultra-prominent peak is the highest summit of the Sierra Blanca Massif, the Sangre de Cristo Range, and the San ...

straddling

Alamosa Alamosa is a home rule municipality and the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 9,806 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorad ...

(6) and Costilla (8) counties,

Crestone peak 2.jpg,

Crestone Peak Crestone Peak is the seventh-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent fourteener is the highest summit of the Crestones and the second-highest summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range ...

Saguache County, Colorado Saguache County (suh-WATCH ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,368. The county seat is Saguache. History Saguache County was formed December 29, 1866 in the Territory of Colorado wh ...

(7) Mount_Lincoln_Colorado_July_2016.jpg,

Mount Lincoln Mount Lincoln may refer to one of several mountains located in the United States: {{Mountainindex, Lincoln ...

Park County, Colorado Park County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,390. The county seat is Fairplay. The county was named after the large geographic region known as South Park, which was named by early f ...

(9) Mount_Harvard_(Colorado)_-_2006-07-16.jpg,

Mount Harvard Mount Harvard is the third highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent fourteener is the highest summit of the Collegiate Peaks and the fourth highest summit in the contiguous United St ...

Chaffee County, Colorado Chaffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The county seat is Salida. History Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between February 8 and February 10, 1879, Carbonate ...

(10) James Peak at dawn.jpg,

James Peak James Peak is a high mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,294 foot thirteener is located on the Continental Divide in the James Peak Wilderness of Arapaho National Forest and Roosevelt National Forest ...

is the intersection of Clear Creek (11),

Grand Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commu ...

(18), and Gilpin (20) counties,

Clark_Peak_(Medicine_Bow_Mountains)_July_2016.jpg, Clark Peak straddling

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

(13) and Larimer (41) counties,

Wonder_Lake_and_Denali.jpg,

Denali Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thir ...

Denali Borough, Alaska The Denali Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census the population of the borough was 1,619, down from 1,826 in 2010. The borough seat and most populated community is Healy, and its only incorporated p ...

(14) Conejos_Peak.JPG,

Conejos Peak Conejos Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the southern San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The thirteener is located in the South San Juan Wilderness of Rio Grande National Forest, north-northwest ( bea ...

Conejos County, Colorado Conejos County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,461. The county seat is the unincorporated community of Conejos. Being 50.7% Hispanic in 2020, Conejos was Colorado's largest Hispa ...

(15) Castle_Peak_CO_Full.JPG, Castle Peak straddling Pitkin (16) and Gunnison (21) counties,

MtSneffelsMarch2008.jpg,

Mount Sneffels Mount Sneffels is the List of Colorado mountain ranges, highest summit of the Sneffels Range in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The Topographic prominence, prominent fourteener is located in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness of Uncompahgre N ...

Ouray County, Colorado Ouray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,874. The county seat is Ouray. Because of its rugged mountain topography, Ouray County is also known as the Switzerland of America. H ...

(17) Gannett Peak.jpg,

Gannett Peak Gannett Peak is the highest mountain peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming at . It lies in the Wind River Range within the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Straddling the Continental Divide along the boundary between Frem ...

straddling Sublette (19) and Fremont (40) counties,

Notes

References

External links

National Geodetic Survey

Finding Survey Marks and DatasheetsUnited States Geological Survey

National Map Search

Elevation Point Query Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Highest counties in the United States, List of Lists of counties of the United States Counties of the United States Counties, List of highest United States United States, List of highest counties United States, List of highest counties

Highest U.S. counties

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links