🫖Boiling Point at Altitude

About this tool

Enter an altitude in metres or feet, or an air pressure in hPa, or pick a place such as Denver or La Paz. The tool estimates the air pressure, the boiling point of water in °C and °F, and how much cooking times are affected.

Why water boils cooler up high

Water boils when its vapour pressure equals the pressure of the surrounding air. At sea level that's 101.3 kPa, reached at 100 °C. Higher up, the air is thinner, so water boils at a lower temperature: roughly 1 °C lower for every 300 m (about 1 °F per 500 ft). Water boils at about 94.7 °C in Denver (1,609 m), about 88 °C in La Paz (3,640 m) and about 70 °C on the summit of Everest. The tool estimates air pressure with the international standard atmosphere formula, then applies the Antoine vapour-pressure equation for water. Because food cooks according to temperature, not bubbling, boiled and simmered dishes (pasta, rice, beans, eggs, stews) take longer at altitude, and at very high camps they may never cook properly, which is why pressure cookers are common in high-altitude cities and on expeditions. Honest limits: weather systems change air pressure by a few percent, shifting the boiling point by up to about 1 °C; salt and sugar raise it slightly; baking at altitude needs separate recipe changes. The altitude oxygen calculator and the cooking converter are related.

Frequently asked questions