According to the U.S. National Geodetic Survey and scientists from the United States Geological Survey, Black Butte has an elevation of ; the Geographic Names Information System database lists its elevation as , while Oregon Geographic Names lists its elevation at .[a] The butte has proximal and draping reliefs of and , which are the difference between summit elevation and that of highest exposure of older rocks overlain by the edifice and the difference between summit elevation and that of lowest distal lavas of the edifice (not including distal pyroclastic or debris flows), respectively. According to E. M. Taylor, Black Butte has a diameter of .