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Highest Towns by Country 2024

The town of La Rinconada is the highest town in the world. It is located in the Eastern Andes Mountains in Peru.

1. La Rinconada, Peru

This is the highest human settlement in the world, located at 16,728 feet above sea level. This town is largely populated by men working in the gold mine nearby. Only men (no women) are allowed to work in the gold mine. Men who work in the gold mines work 30 days without pay. Every 30 days, they are allowed one or two days wherein they can mine for themselves. If they can find gold during that one- or two-day period, then they can keep it.

The town of La Rinconada has no plumbing, no sewer systems and very little infrastructure. Living conditions in the town are very challenging for the people who live there. Women who live in La Rinconada are allowed to sift through the dump sites where the extra earth and rock is discarded. If they find gold, they are allowed to keep it.

Although the Peruvian government has some moves to require the workers in the mine to be paid in a more traditional fashion, the workers themselves have opposed this because they believe they have a greater chance of higher earnings under the current system.

2. Wenquan, China

Wenquan, China is located at 15,980 feet above sea level. This settlement was founded in 1955 just north of the Tanggula mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The area around the town is home to animals like snow leopards and pandas. The town does receive some tourism and has a Mongolian heritage as well as hot springs.

3. Korzok, India

Located at 15,000 feet above sea level, Korzok, India is populated by nomads that herd sheep and produce pashmina wool. The great value of the wool has become an economic boon to the community. In this remote location, horses plow crops of barley and oats. The town is also located near a 500-year-old monastery, the Korzok monastery.

4. Parinacota, Chile

Parinacota, Chile is located at 14,435 feet and has a population of 29 people. The town is located near Lauca National Park.

  • List includes both sovereign states and dependent territories.
  • Heights shown are total elevation above sea level rather than relative height as compared to local geography.
  • The term 'town' is used loosely in this case, as some of the listed locations are quite small (though occupied year-round) and could arguably be better described as permanent settlements.
Country
Town Name
State
Elevation (ft)
Elevation (m)
PeruLa RinconadaPuno16,7285,100
ChinaTuiwaTibet Autonomous Region16,6345,070
BoliviaSanta BarbaraPotosí Department15,6004,770
IndiaKarzokLadakh15,0004,570
ChileParinacotaArica-Parinacota14,4354,400
NepalDingbocheKhumbu14,3014,350
ArgentinaMina PirquitasJujuy Province14,2404,340
AfghanistanQarabolaqWakhan District13,5794,139
KyrgyzstanChatyndyOsh Province13,1664,013
BhutanLayaGasa District12,5333,820
EthiopiaAmarasAmhara Region12,2303,728
TajikistanMurghabGorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region11,9753,650
MexicoRaícesMexico11,9193,633
United StatesAlmaColorado11,6803,560
VenezuelaApartaderosMérida11,5023,505
ColombiaVetasSantander10,9903,350
EcuadorPapallactaNapo10,8273,300
PakistanShimshalGilgit-Baltistan10,4993,200
GuatemalaIxchiguánSan Marcos Department10,4493,185
LesothoKhalahaliMokhotlong District10,3613,158
Costa RicaVilla MillsCartago Province10,1733,100
YemenKawkabanSana'a Governorate9,6162,931
IndonesiaMuliaPapua Province8,8812,706
CameroonNduSouthwest Region8,5662,611
EritreaAdi KeyhDebub8,2022,500
IranFereydunshahrIsfahan Province8,1692,490
RussiaKurushDokuzparinskiy rayon, Dagestan8,1342,480
KenyaItenElgeyo-Marakwet County7,8742,400
AzerbaijanKhınalıgGuba District7,7102,375
GeorgiaBochornaAkhmeta Municipality7,6942,345
MoroccoTacheddirtAl Haouz7,5922,314
ArmeniaAkhpradzorGegharkunik7,4442,293
RwandaByumbaNorthern Province7,3422,237
TurkeyKapıköyVan7,2842,220
AndorraEl Pas de la CasaEncamp7,2802,219
ItalyTrepalleLombardy7,2472,209
Saudi ArabiaAbhaAsir7,2182,200
Papua New GuineaWabagEnga Province7,1622,182
MongoliaAltai CityYesönbulag, Govi-Altai7,1562,181
SyriaRankousRif Dimashq Governorate7,0522,150
SwitzerlandJufGraubünden6,9732,126
FranceSaint-VéranHautes-Alpes6,6922,040
South AfricaDullstroomMpumalanga6,6242,019
UgandaKabaleWestern Region6,5602,000
PanamaCerro PuntaChiriquí Province6,5602,000
AustriaObergurglTyrol6,3321,930
BurundiMuramvyaMuramvya Province6,3151,924
Sri LankaNuwara EliyaNuwara Eliya District, Central Province6,1281,868
AlgeriaTazroukTazrouk District, Tamanrasset Province5,9941,827
KazakhstanNarynkolAlmaty Province5,9711,819
MadagascarSoanindrarinyVakinankaratra5,9641,817
SomaliaErigavoSanaag5,8691,788
ComorosLa ConvalescenceGrande Comore5,8661,787
OmanSaiqAd Dakhiliyah Governorate5,7581,755
LebanonBekaa KafraNorth Governorate5,7401,750
NamibiaWindhoekKhomas Region5,6691,728
AngolaHuambo and LubangoHuambo and Huíla5,6461,721
TanzaniaMbeyaMbeya Region5,5771,700
HondurasLa EsperanzaIntibucá Department5,5771,700
SpainValdelinaresTeruel, Aragon5,5511,692
El SalvadorApanecaAhuachapán Department5,5231,683
DjiboutiAirolafTadjourah Region5,4681,667
CanadaLake LouiseAlberta5,4491,661
DR CongoMasisiNorth Kivu Province5,4191,651
ZimbabweMaronderaMashonaland East5,3481,630
BrazilCampos do JordãoSão Paulo5,3411,628
VietnamSa PaLào Cai Province5,2491,600
BulgariaManastirPlovdiv Province5,2491,600
MalaysiaBrinchangPahang5,2261,592
MalawiDedzaCentral Region5,2161,590
EgyptSaint CatherineSouth Sinai Governorate5,2031,586
NigerInignaoueiAgadez Region, Arlit Department5,1081,556
HaitiKenscoffOuest4,9341,504
EswatiniSandlaneManzini District4,9341,503
PhilippinesBaguioBenguet4,9211,500
UzbekistanYangiabadTashkent Province4,9211,500
Cape VerdeEstância RoqueFogo Island4,9211,500
Bosnia and HerzegovinaLukomirHerzegovina-Neretva Canton, Konjic municipality4,9051,495
AustraliaCabramurraNew South Wales4,8391,475
ThailandBan Na YangChiang Mai Province4,8161,467
GreeceSeli, Samarina and AetomilitsaEpirus and Macedonia (Greece)4,8001,450
MontenegroŽabljakŽabljak Municipality4,7771,456
GuineaMaliLabé Region4,7121,441
LiechtensteinRotenbodenTriesenberg4,6451,416
CyprusProdromosLimassol District4,5281,380
IraqPenjwinSulaymaniyah Governorate4,4911,368
MozambiqueLichingaNiassa Province4,4621,360
RomaniaFundataBrașov County4,4621,360
North KoreaSamjiyŏnRyanggang Province4,4521,356
North MacedoniaKruševoKruševo Municipality4,4291,350
TurkmenistanHojapilLebap Province4,4161,346
ReunionHell-BourgSalazie Commune4,4121,344
LaosPhongsaliPhongsali Province4,3791,334
JordanShoubakMa'an Governorate4,3601,330
BotswanaKanyeSouthern District4,2881,306
VanuatuNokowoulaSanma Province, Espiritu Santo Island4,2381,291
ZambiaLusakaLusaka Province4,1961,279
GermanyFeldbergBaden-Württemberg4,1901,277
NigeriaJosPlateau State4,0621,238
NorwayFinseWestern Norway4,0001,222
NicaraguaSan José de CusmapaMadriz Department3,8871,184
Dominican RepublicConstanzaLa Vega Province3,8191,164
AlbaniaMoscopoleKorçë County3,8061,160
SudanKutumNorth Darfur3,7001,127
SlovakiaVysoké TatryPrešov Region3,6911,125
SerbiaNova VarošZlatibor District3,6481,111
TaiwanWutaiPingtung County3,5301,075
ChadAouzouBorkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Prefecture3,5261,074
Central African RepublicBocarangaOuham-Pendé3,5171,072
CroatiaBegovo RazdoljePrimorje–Gorski Kotar County3,4781,060
PortugalGuardaGuarda District3,4641,056
Czech RepublicBoží DarKarlovy Vary Region3,3721,028
TunisiaThalaKasserine Governorate3,3371,017
PolandZąbLesser Poland Voivodeship3,3261,013
Equatorial GuineaMokaBioko Island3,3261,013
PalestineHalhulHebron Governorate3,2971,004
Sao Tome and PrincipeM. VilelaSão Tomé Island3,254991
BelizeBaldy BeaconCayo District3,211978
SloveniaZgornje JezerskoCarinthia3,195973
IsraelBeit JannNorthern District3,084940
GabonNdindiNgounié Province3,061932
UkraineYasiniaZakarpattia Oblast, Rakhiv Raion3,054931
Solomon IslandsKamanjikokoGuadalcanal Province2,998913
Sierra LeoneDawuleNorthern Province2,923890
JapanFujikawaguchikoMinamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture2,874875
SamoaAfiamaluUpolu Island2,834863
CambodiaPhumi Popok VilKampot Province2,765842
SwedenHögvålenHärjedalen2,739835
South SudanToritEastern Equatoria2,723829
New ZealandNational Park VillageManawatū-Whanganui region2,706825
HungaryMátraszentimreHeves County2,657810
Republic of the CongoEdzouansekePlateaux Department2,637803
TogoSadoméPlateaux Region2,621798
FijiNavaiViti Levu2,424738
Puerto RicoAibonitoSan Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area2,401731
LibyaGharyanJabal al Gharbi District2,296700
GhanaAmedzofeVolta Region2,224677
San MarinoCity of San MarinoCastello della Città di San Marino2,215675
Trinidad and TobagoBrasso SecoTunapuna–Piarco2,211673
LiberiaSaniquellieNimba County2,204671
ParaguayPedro Juan CaballeroAmambay2,201670
South KoreaTaebaekGangwon Province2,133650
BelgiumRocherathLiège2,133650
JamaicaMandevilleManchester Parish2,061628
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesFancySaint Vincent Island2,007612
GuyanaIpichauPotaro-Siparuni2,004611
MaliSadegueMopti Region1,984604
MartiniqueLe Morne-VertLe Morne-Vert Commune1,975601
Ivory CoastBiankoumaBiankouma Department1,971600
United Arab EmiratesMasafiRas al-Khaimah and Fujairah1,863567
GuadeloupeSaint-ClaudeSaint-Claude Commune1,788544
FinlandKilpisjärviLapland1,607490
MauritaniaZouératTiris Zemmour Region1,604488
Western SaharaHasi ChorOued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira1,584483
MicronesiaPwoaipwoaiPohnpei1,571478
CubaYaterasGuantánamo Province1,542470
LuxembourgTroisviergesClervaux1,539469
IcelandMöðrudalurEastern Region1,539469
United KingdomFlashStaffordshire, England1,519463
Burkina FasoDialiCascades Region1,499456
Saint LuciaMignySoufrière Quarter1,492454
BeninAledjo-KouraDonga Department1,482451
MauritiusCurepipePlaines Wilhems District1,466446
SurinameAnapiSipaliwini District1,309398
GrenadaConstantineSaint George Parish1,302396
United States Virgin IslandsDorothea and ResolutionSaint Thomas1,220371
MoldovaBălăneștiNisporeni District1,066324
UruguaySanta Clara de OlimarTreinta y Tres Department1,050320
BarbadosWhite HillSaint Andrew Parish1,000304
IrelandGlencullenCounty Dublin980300
American SamoaA'oloauTutuila869264
MaltaDingliMalta Island, Western District820250
MayotteVahibéCommune of Mamoudzou820250
New CaledoniaFarinoSouth Province820250
MontserratSaint John'sNorthern Zone787239
BangladeshRulkipparaChittagong Division780237
French GuianaSaülArrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni757230
LithuaniaŠvenčionysUtena County755230
BelarusLahojskMinsk Region725220
LatviaAlūksneVidzeme712217
Northern Mariana IslandsCapitol HillSaipan705214
BruneiRumah SuponTutong District669203
NetherlandsVaalsLimburg650198
TongaPangaiEua Island606184
KuwaitWafraAl Ahmadi Governorate554168
PalauNgatpangNgatpang State, Babeldaob Island534162
DenmarkEjerRegion Midtjylland520160
SenegalNepen DiakhaKédougou Region502153
EstoniaOtepääValga County499152
Isle of ManFoxdaleGlenfaba sheading498151
GuamUnited StatesSanta Rita433131
ArubaKingdom of the NetherlandsShiribana419127
Vatican CityVatican CityVatican City24675
QatarUmm BabJariyan al Batnah22668
CuracaoNetherlandsSint Willibrordus22367
BahrainAwaliAwali Municipality20662
GambiaBaniUpper River Division, Kantora District16450
NauruUaboeUaboe District11835
BahamasFreeportGrand Bahama, Freeport District3610
Cayman IslandsBodden TownBodden Town district3010
showing: 200 rows

In which country is the highest town in the world?

Located in the Eastern Andes Mountains, the town of La Rinconada is the highest town in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources