Highest Major Cities in Ecuador

Cities in Ecuador with more than 15,000 inhabitants, ranked by elevation above sea level (GeoNames digital elevation model).

📅 2026📏 metres50 entries🇪🇨 See all of this country’s rankings →

All entries · 50

1,000 metres2,000 metres

Every dot is one entry, placed by its value (metres); the vertical bar marks each row’s median.

Tulcán86,498 people · Carchi

2,962 m

Pujilí16,168 people · Cotopaxi

2,944 m

Cayambe26,582 people · Pichincha

2,911 m

Machachi25,742 people · Pichincha

2,905 m

Quito2,781,641 people · Pichincha

2,854 m

Guaranda22,199 people · Bolívar

2,806 m

Riobamba264,048 people · Chimborazo Province

2,777 m

Latacunga205,624 people · Cotopaxi

2,770 m

Azogues34,877 people · Canar

2,720 m

Ambato387,309 people · Tungurahua Province

2,597 m

Otavalo32,330 people · Imbabura

2,532 m

Pelileo16,572 people · Tungurahua Province

2,515 m

Cuenca636,996 people · Azuay

2,484 m

Pomasqui28,724 people · Pichincha

2,457 m

Gualaceo17,122 people · Azuay

2,429 m

Atuntaqui17,456 people · Imbabura

2,391 m

Ibarra221,149 people · Imbabura

2,192 m

Cariamanga16,862 people · Loja

2,185 m

Loja274,112 people · Loja

2,060 m

Catamayo18,565 people · Loja

1,452 m

Macas23,687 people · Morona-Santiago Province

1,315 m

Piñas16,981 people · El Oro

1,196 m

Puyo24,881 people · Pastaza Province

1,058 m

Zamora15,276 people · Zamora Chinchipe

979 m

La Maná16,450 people · Cotopaxi

742 m

Tena17,172 people · Napo

610 m

Santo Domingo de los Colorados458,580 people · Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas

555 m

La Troncal36,353 people · Canar

480 m

Ventanas38,168 people · Los Ríos

371 m

Nueva Loja24,211 people · Sucumbíos

303 m

Puerto Francisco de Orellana48,144 people · Orellana Province

300 m

Jipijapa35,901 people · Manabí

287 m

Boca Suno20,313 people · Orellana Province

280 m

Naranjito34,206 people · Guayas

166 m

Valencia18,841 people · Los Ríos

163 m

Sucre15,286 people · Manabí

152 m

Montecristi18,351 people · Manabí

135 m

El Empalme48,754 people · Guayas

106 m

Pedro Carbo23,372 people · Guayas

103 m

Chone44,751 people · Manabí

102 m

Portoviejo321,800 people · Manabí

90 m

Rosa Zarate42,121 people · Esmeraldas

88 m

Santa Rosa41,816 people · El Oro

81 m

Montalvo15,547 people · Los Ríos

65 m

Naranjal32,045 people · Guayas

60 m

Babahoyo76,279 people · Los Ríos

51 m

Quevedo213,842 people · Los Ríos

51 m

Santa Elena42,214 people · Santa Elena

43 m

Arenillas26,000 people · El Oro

41 m

Balzar40,115 people · Guayas

41 m

Highlights

Within Ecuador, Tulcán ranks first in 2026 with 2,962 m, followed by Pujilí (2,944 m) and Cayambe (2,911 m).

The top two are virtually level: Tulcán and Pujilí differ by less than 1%.

Across 50 entries, values run from 2,962 m (Tulcán) to 41 m (Balzar), with a median of 676 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants · CC BY 4.0 (GeoNames) · fetched Oct 17, 2026 — Elevation is the GeoNames digital elevation model value at the populated place coordinates; population figures are shown for context.

Ranking

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Highlights

Within Ecuador, Tulcán ranks first in 2026 with 2,962 m, followed by Pujilí (2,944 m) and Cayambe (2,911 m).

The top two are virtually level: Tulcán and Pujilí differ by less than 1%.

Across 50 entries, values run from 2,962 m (Tulcán) to 41 m (Balzar), with a median of 676 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.