Get Started

Before you begin: Before you start using the Elevation API, you need a project with a billing account and the Elevation API enabled. We recommend creating multiple Project Owners and Billing Administrators, so that you'll always have someone with these roles available to your team. To learn more, see Set up in Cloud console.

The Elevation API provides elevation data for all locations on the surface of the earth, including depth locations on the ocean floor (which return negative values).

This service is also available as part of the client-side Maps JavaScript API, or for server-side use with the Java Client, Python Client, Go Client and Node.js Client for Google Maps Services.

Sample request and response

You access the Elevation API through an HTTP interface, with requests constructed as a URL string, using latitude/longitude coordinates to identify the locations or path vertices. Requests must include your API key.

The following example requests the elevation for Denver, Colorado, the "Mile High City", in JSON format:

URL

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/elevation/json
  ?locations=39.7391536%2C-104.9847034
  &key=YOUR_API_KEY

cURL

curl -L -X GET 'https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/elevation/json?locations=39.7391536%2C-104.9847034&key=YOUR_API_KEY'

You can test this by entering the URL into your web browser (be sure to replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key). The response includes the elevation at that point, in meters, along with the resolution value (the maximum distance between data points from which the elevation was interpolated, in meters).

View the developer's guide for more information about building request URLs and available parameters and understanding the response.

Below is a sample response:

JSON

{
  "results":
    [
      {
        "elevation": 1608.637939453125,
        "location": { "lat": 39.7391536, "lng": -104.9847034 },
        "resolution": 4.771975994110107,
      },
    ],
  "status": "OK",
}

XML

<ElevationResponse>
 <status>OK</status>
 <result>
  <location>
   <lat>39.7391536</lat>
   <lng>-104.9847034</lng>
  </location>
  <elevation>1608.6379395</elevation>
  <resolution>4.7719760</resolution>
 </result>
</ElevationResponse>

Start coding with our client libraries

Client libraries make developing with the Google Maps web service APIs easier by providing simple, native implementations of common tasks, such as authentication, request throttling and automatic retry. The Elevation API is available in the Java Client, Python Client, Go Client and Node.js Client for Google Maps Services.

Authentication, quotas, pricing, and policies

Authentication

To use the Elevation API, you must first enable the API and obtain the proper authentication credentials. For more information, see Get Started with Google Maps Platform.

Quotas and pricing

Review the usage and billing page for details on the quotas and pricing set for the Elevation API.

Policies

Use of the Elevation API must be in accordance with the API policies.

Learn more

There’s more you can do with the Elevation API, like requesting elevation data from multiple locations. See the Elevation API developer guide for more examples and other details.

The Elevation API developer guide is intended for website and mobile developers who want to use elevation data within maps provided by one of the Google Maps Platform APIs. It provides an introduction to using the API and reference material on the available parameters.