The short answer to this question is: by using Google's Elevation Service. Additionally, you can find the elevation of a point on Earth's surface using the same data from Google Maps, via third party websites.In this tutorial we'll go through some of these online services you can use, but first, let's clarify what elevation and altitude is all about.Elevation and altitude are considered synonyms by most people, but some distinctions can be made.In layman's terms, Elevation means the vertical distance from the surface of the sea to the location of an object. It can also have a negative value for underwater locations.Altitude also means the vertical distance from the sea's surface to a location, but it is used for locations above the Earth's surface, such as flying airplanes.Like I said, Google does have an Elevation Service, accessible via API as well, so we'll start with it. Find elevation in Google Maps with Google's Elevation ServiceStrangely enough, Google Maps does not display this information on the regular Maps accessible at do however.On that page you can simply click on the map and it will show you the elevation of the location you clicked on.You can't search for locations, but you can zoom in and out and switch between satellite map and street map.Above: Example of elevation for mount Everest 2.
Terrain Quality - This setting allows you to determine how coarse or fine the Earth's terrain appears in Google Earth. To access these settings, click Tools Options 3D viewer tab (on the Mac, click Google Earth Preferences 3D View tab). Under Terrain Quality, use the slider to choose the appropriate level of detail. Changing Units of Measurement You can choose how Google Earth displays units of measurements. There are two sets of options: one for Ruler tool and the other for elevation figures as displayed in the 3D viewer.
Elevation from GeoplanerAccessible at:.The Geoplaner website uses the same elevation data from Google Maps, but also features a search option. In addition to that, you can enter locations using coordinates, in several formats.It shows elevation in meters or feet, default in meters. Besides Google's street and satellite (with or without labels) maps, you can also switch to OSM (Open Street Map).Geoplaner does much more than just show elevation. You can also:. Create routes and waypoints, which you can drag around.
Export/Import these routes and waypoints. Create a link to the map you are looking at, containing all the waypoints and routes you created; this option is below the map.Here's an example of a saved link to a map showing the elevation of Mount Everest.
Elevation from Altitude.nuAccessible at:.To use this Google Maps powered service, simply click on the map and it will display elevation for the clicked point, plus coordinates to the top left of the map.