While today I have many tools that allow me to locate myself on the map, it is much more difficult to find the altitude around me! Fortunately, the Internet offers several options for obtaining this information.
Here are some of the best ways to find out your own altitude or that of a specific location!
MyAltitude, the simplest solution to find the altitude around me
To start my selection of sites that allowed me to measure the altitude around me, I found you a very easy to use site whose sole reason for being is to indicate the altitude around you! At the same time, its name leaves no doubt!
To measure your altitude with MonAltitude it's very very simple:
- Meeting on MyAltitude
- Then click Locate yourself
You will need to allow the site to access your location data and after a few seconds, the site will send you your altitude, your city, your GPS coordinates and display your position on a map.
If the position is not exact, you can move the cursor on the map!
A simple and efficient site, just the way I like them!
CalcMaps, a suite of tools for manipulating maps
CalcMaps is a free site that offers several tools to manipulate or extract information from a map…and the site has a tool that allows you to measure the altitude at a given locationUnlike MonAltitude, it does not allow you to geolocate yourself.
- Go to the website of CalcMaps and choose the Altitude tool
- In the search field, enter the address of your location or its GPS coordinates. You can also click directly on the map.
- Click on Research
CalcMaps will then give you the altitude at the selected address as well as the GPS coordinates.
Geoportal, a tool made in France
Géoportail is the official French portal for all geographic data for the general public. Offered by the IGN (National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information), it provides access to detailed maps in France and around the world. It allows you to calculate routes, measure distances, explore the relief and display various layers, such as aerial photos or the land registry.
And among all its features, it also allows you to display the altitude at any point on the map… So I tested it to measure the altitude around me. And here's how I did it:
- Go to the Geoportail maps
- Browse the map or enter the address of the place you are interested in.
- On the right side of the screen, click on the wrench and Main tools
- In the menu, click Show coordinates
Among the coordinates displayed, you will find latitude and longitude, but above all the altitude!
All you have to do is hover over the map to display the altitude at the pointer!
Google Earth, the dinosaur of cartography
So, yes! Google Earth still exists. We tend to forget it, but this tool, quite impressive when it was released in 2001, can still be useful to you. In our case, I managed to use it to find the altitude around me!
- Access to Google Earth
- At the bottom right of the map, click on the “ Show your location » which looks like some kind of target so that the tool can geolocate you
- Google Earth will take you to that location and display details of the location in an inset with GPS coordinates and your altitude!
Alternatively, if your position is not correctly located, you can right-click on the location you want measure on the map and select the option Get info to display this insert with the altitude around you.
Google Maps, the most frustrating!
Whether you believe it or not, Google Maps has no effective option to display the altitude of your position… yes, I know it’s crazy. It seems obvious, but Google Maps doesn't do this.
However, there is a little-known trick that allows you to do this from the contour lines by modifying the base map.
For this I explain to you in detail how to go about it in a dedicated article: How to display altitude on Google Maps.
Article updated on May 7, 2025 by Byothe
Thanks for these useful tips to easily know the altitude around you.
Hello. Thank you, I was looking for a geodesic point to calibrate my connected watch which no longer displays the consistent altitude. With these tools, I found it.
These sites are perfect for quickly finding the exact altitude of a specific location! ⛰️????