This article contains a list of U.S. states by elevation, which allows the states to be compared. The elevation of U.S. states may be described in a number of ways:[1]: by the elevation of their highest point, the elevation of their lowest points, their mean elevation, the difference between their highest points and lowest points, and the prominence of their highest points. These different measures yield different answers to the question, "which is the highest/most rugged/lowest/flattest state?".
By several measures, Alaska is the highest and most rugged state, due to Mount McKinley. Mount McKinley, at 20,320 ft (6,194 m), is the highest point in the United States. It is also the most prominent peak in the United States. Colorado is an alternative to Alaska for highest state: Colorado has the highest average altitude of any state.
There is no clearcut lowest/flattest state: Florida has the lowest high point and the least difference between highest and lowest point; Delaware has the lowest mean elevation; and California has the lowest point in the United States (Badwater, at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level.)