It’s America’s most famous mountain, but apparently no one knows how tall it really is!
For decades, Pikes Peak was said to be 14,110 feet tall, based on a national geographical survey that took place in 1929. In fact, the official Pikes Peak Highway website still touts it as 14,110 feet above sea level, and all the signs, t-shirts, and everything else still say 14,110. But in 1988, the National Geodetic Survey remeasured the Peak and found it to be 14,115 feet. And, the National Elevation Dataset claims America’s most famous mountain is 14,117 feet.
Still, the official sign on top of Pikes Peak claims just 14,110 feet, and it’s unlikely they’ll begin printing new t-shirts soon. And if you manage to climb all the way to the top of the mountain, whether it’s 14,110 feet or 14,117 feet, you’ve still accomplished quite a feat!
Of related interest is the National Geodatic Survey data sheet for Pikes Peak.