 Although Denver 's nickname is the " Mile @-@ High City " because its official elevation is one mile above sea level , defined by the elevation of the spot of a benchmark on the steps of the State Capitol building , the elevation of the entire city ranges from 5 @,@ 130 to 5 @,@ 690 feet ( 1 @,@ 560 to 1 @,@ 730 m ) . According to Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS ) and the National Elevation Dataset , the city 's elevation is 5 @,@ 278 feet ( 1 @,@ 609 m ) , which is reflected on various websites such as that of the National Weather Service . 
