Boiling Point at Altitude Calculator
Water does not always boil at 100 °C — climb a mountain or live on a plateau and lower air pressure makes it boil cooler. Enter an altitude in metres or feet and this tool uses the ICAO standard atmosphere to get the local pressure, then inverts the Antoine equation for water to give the boiling point in °C / °F plus a rough cooking-time multiplier.
Enter an altitude between −500 m and 11 000 m (the troposphere range).
Boiling point of water
96.7 °C
206.1 °F
Atmospheric pressure
89.9 kPa
674 mmHg
High-altitude cooking impact
Formula
P(h) = 101.325 kPa × (1 − 0.0065·h / 288.15)^5.2559 (ICAO ISA) T_b = 1730.63 / (8.07131 − log₁₀ P_mmHg) − 233.426 (Antoine, water)
Valid in the troposphere (−500 m ≤ h ≤ 11 000 m). Sources: U.S. Standard Atmosphere 1976; NIST WebBook Antoine constants for water.
Formula
P(h) = 101.325 kPa × (1 − 0.0065·h / 288.15)^5.2559 (ICAO ISA troposphere) T_b = 1730.63 / (8.07131 − log₁₀ P_mmHg) − 233.426 (Antoine equation, water, 1 °C–100 °C) Cooking time multiplier ≈ 1 + 0.025·(100 − T_b) (USDA high-altitude cooking rule of thumb)
- · The pressure step uses the U.S. Standard Atmosphere 1976 / ICAO ISA model, valid in the troposphere (−500 m to 11 000 m). Above the troposphere the atmospheric structure differs and the tool returns no result.
- · The boiling-point step uses the NIST WebBook Antoine constants for water (A = 8.07131, B = 1730.63, C = 233.426), accurate to about ±0.1 °C between 1 °C and 100 °C.
- · Sea level (h = 0): boiling point 100.0 °C / 212 °F at 101.325 kPa (760 mmHg) — the textbook 1 atm reference.
- · Useful samples: Tai Mo Shan (HK, 957 m) ≈ 96.8 °C; Denver, Colorado (1 609 m) ≈ 94.6 °C; Mexico City (2 240 m) ≈ 92.4 °C; Mt Fuji summit (3 776 m) ≈ 87.4 °C; Lhasa (3 650 m) ≈ 88.0 °C; Everest Base Camp (5 364 m) ≈ 81.8 °C; Mt Everest summit (8 848 m) ≈ 70.4 °C.
- · USDA high-altitude cooking guidance: add roughly 5 % to boil-cooked food time for every 305 m (1 000 ft) of elevation. The multiplier here is a rough average — starches (rice, pasta) are less affected, while proteins (beans, meat) and baking matter more.
- · The tool reports the boiling point of pure water. Salt slightly raises the boiling point; a pressure cooker raises local pressure back toward or above 1 atm and largely cancels the altitude effect.
- · Sources: U.S. Standard Atmosphere 1976 (NASA TM-X-74335); ICAO Doc 7488 Standard Atmosphere; NIST Chemistry WebBook (Antoine constants for water); USDA Food Safety high-altitude cooking notes.
Frequently asked
Why does water boil at a lower temperature when you go up a mountain?
A liquid boils when its vapour pressure equals the surrounding air pressure. Higher altitude means lower air pressure, so water reaches that balance at a lower temperature and starts boiling sooner. The boiling point drops roughly 1 °C for every 285 m of elevation.
What happens if you try to boil an egg at the top of Everest?
Water only reaches about 70 °C at the summit, but the proteins in egg white need ~80 °C to fully set (the yolk needs ~65 °C). The white stays jelly-like no matter how long you boil it. Mountaineers either bring a pressure cooker, or switch to frying and roasting. The same is why rice takes forever and dried beans never soften on high plateaux.
How do I adjust cooking and baking at high altitude?
USDA guidance: (1) Boiling: add ~5 % to cooking time per 305 m (1 000 ft); (2) Baking above ~900 m: raise oven temperature by ~15 °C (25 °F), reduce sugar and leavener (1/8–1/4 tsp less per teaspoon) to keep batters from over-rising, slightly increase liquids; (3) Yeast doughs proof faster because lower pressure releases CO₂ more easily — shorten the rise; (4) Water evaporates faster, so cover pots or add liquid. The multiplier here is a rough boil-time estimate only.
Does Hong Kong's elevation actually matter for cooking?
Practically not. Almost all of urban Hong Kong sits within metres of sea level (boiling point 99.8–100 °C), and even the summit of Tai Mo Shan (957 m) only drops it to 96.8 °C — barely noticeable. No adjustment needed for everyday HK cooking. The effects become relevant if you travel and cook in places like Mt Fuji, Taiwan’s Hehuanshan, or any plateau in Tibet, Yunnan or the Andes.
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