Elevation Profile

Click the map to add waypoints along a route. Generate a cross-section elevation chart with stats.

Click on the map to add your first waypoint.
📈 Click on the map to add your first waypoint.

About This Tool

The Elevation Profile generates a cross-section chart of terrain height along any drawn route. It is used for hiking and cycling route planning, infrastructure engineering, line-of-sight assessment, and any analysis that requires knowing how terrain varies along a path.

Input

Two or more waypoints defining a path, placed by clicking the map. The tool interpolates up to 100 sample points at equal great-circle distances along the route and fetches the terrain elevation at each one.

Output

A line chart of elevation (metres) against cumulative distance (km or m), plus summary statistics: minimum elevation, maximum elevation, total route distance, cumulative elevation gain, and cumulative elevation loss.

Key Concepts

Elevation gain / loss
Gain is the sum of all positive elevation differences between consecutive samples (uphill segments); loss is the sum of all negative differences (downhill). These figures estimate physical effort for hiking and cycling. Accuracy improves with sample density — coarser sampling misses small undulations, leading to underestimation of gain and loss on technical terrain.
Great-circle interpolation
Sample points are placed at equal arc-length intervals along the route using the Turf.js along function, which follows the spherical surface rather than a straight screen line. This ensures samples are evenly distributed in real-world distance, not just on the map.
Data source
Elevation values are fetched in a single batch request from the Open-Meteo Elevation API, powered by the Copernicus DEM (30 m global resolution, derived from TanDEM-X radar satellite data). Ocean areas return 0 m.