Highest big cities

Highest big cities ranked by elevation above sea level.

Last updated . Source: Wikidata.

As of 2026-10-12, Nagqu tops the list with 4,500 m.

  1. #1 Nagqu — 4,500 m

    prefecture-level City in Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China

    Nagqu is a prefecture-level city in the north of the Autonomous Prefecture of Tibet. On May 7, 2018, the former Nagqu Prefecture was officially declared the sixth prefecture-level city in Tibet after Lhasa, Shigatse, Chamdo, Nyingchi and Shannan. The regional area, covering an area of 450,537 km2 (173,953 sq mi), is bordered by Bayingolin and Hotan Prefectures of Xinjiang to the north, Haixi, Yushu Prefectures of Qinghai and Chamdo to the east, Nyingchi, Lhasa and Shigatse to the south,... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  2. #2 El Alto — 4,150 m

    second-largest city in Bolivia

    El Alto is the second-largest city in Bolivia, located adjacent to La Paz in Pedro Domingo Murillo Province on the Altiplano highlands. El Alto is today one of Bolivia's fastest-growing urban centers, with an estimated population of 943,558 in 2020. It is also the highest major city in the world, with an average elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft). Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  3. #3 Lhasa — 4,150 m

    prefecture-level city and capital of Tibet

    Lhasa is the capital and largest city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is a prefecture-level city that covers an area of 29,274 square kilometres (11,303 sq mi) of rugged and sparsely populated terrain. Its urban center is Lhasa, with around 300,000 residents, which mostly corresponds with the administrative Chengguan District, while its suburbs extend into Doilungdêqên District and Dagzê District. The consolidated prefecture-level city contains an additional five, mostly rural,... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  4. #4 Potosí — 4,070 m

    city in Bolivia

    Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal 4,067 m (13,343 ft). Diego Huallpa, an indigenous prospector, is traditionally credited with the discovery of the Cerro Rico in 1545, which led to the founding and rapid growth of Potosí due to its extraordinary silver wealth. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  5. #5 Puno — 3,830 m

    Capital city of Puno, Peru

    Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the eponymous Puno Province and Puno Region; in 2017, it had a population of 135,288. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of Paucarcolla with the name San Juan Bautista de Puno. The name was later changed to San Carlos de Puno, in honor of king Charles II of Spain. Puno has several churches dating back from the colonial... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  6. #6 Juliaca — 3,825 m

    capital city of San Román, Puno, Peru

    Juliaca is the capital of San Román Province in the Puno Region of southeastern Peru. It is the region's largest city, with a population of 276,110 inhabitants (2017). On the Altiplano, Juliaca is 3,825 metres (12,549 ft) above sea level, is located on the Collao Plateau and is northwest of Lake Titicaca (45 km), near Chachas Lake, the Maravillas river, and near the ruins of Sillustani. It is the largest trade center in the Puno region. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  7. #7 Oruro — 3,710 m

    city of Bolivia

    Oruro or Uru Uru is a city in Bolivia with a population of 264,683, about halfway between La Paz and Sucre in the Altiplano, approximately 3,709 meters (12,169 ft) above sea level. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  8. #8 La Paz — 3,640 m

    capital city and seat of government of Bolivia

    La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz, is the seat of government of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, it is the third-most populous city in Bolivia. Its metropolitan area, which includes the neighboring city of El Alto, and other smaller towns, is the second most populous urban area in Bolivia, with a population of 2.2 million, after Santa Cruz de la Sierra with a population of 2.3 million. The city is also the capital of the department of the same name. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  9. #9 Cusco — 3,399 m

    historic city of Peru, capital of the Department of Cusco

    Cusco or Cuzco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range, and the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Cusco Province and Cusco Department. It has historically been one of the largest cultural, economic and political centers of Peru. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  10. #10 Huancayo — 3,271 m

    capital city of Junín region, Peru

    Huancayo is the capital of the Junín Region and Huancayo Province, in the central highlands of Peru, in the Mantaro Valley and is crossed by the Shullcas, Chilca and Mantaro rivers. It was founded as a reduction by the name Santísima Trinidad de Huancayo on 1 June 1572, by Don Jerónimo de Silva, a Spanish conquistador. It is the fifth largest city in Peru, with a population of over 500,000 and is among the highest cities in Peru, with an altitude of 3,256 meters above sea level. It is... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata