Open Topo Data Elevation Scraper

Open Topo Data Elevation Scraper

Query elevation for any coordinate on Earth from 11 global and regional terrain models. Feed a list of latitudes and longitudes and get back the height in meters, the dataset used, and the sampling method. No API key, no rate limits.

Getting elevation data usually means downloading massive GeoTIFF files or paying for a commercial API. This Actor queries the public Open Topo Data service directly, so you can look up heights for thousands of points in one run. Choose from SRTM, ASTER, NED, GEBCO, and other models, then export the results as a flat table.

Who uses it	What they scrape Open Topo Data for
GIS analysts	Building a height profile along a proposed pipeline route.
Outdoor app developers	Enriching trail waypoints with accurate elevation data.
Environmental researchers	Sampling terrain heights at field observation sites.
Drone flight planners	Checking ground elevation for terrain-following missions.

What it does

This Actor takes a list of coordinates and returns the elevation for each point from your chosen dataset.

• 🌍 11 elevation datasets: SRTM 30m, ASTER 30m, NED 10m (USA), NZDEM 8m, EU DEM 25m, Mapzen, GEBCO 2020, and more.
• 📍 Bulk coordinate lookup: paste a JSON array of {lat, lng} objects and get one row back per point.
• 📏 Three interpolation methods: bilinear, nearest neighbour, or cubic sampling between grid posts.
• 🔧 Custom server support: point the Actor at your own Open Topo Data instance for private or air-gapped runs.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with Open Topo Data data

🗺️ Build a terrain profile.

A civil engineer feeds a list of coordinates along a planned road alignment and gets back elevation values to plot a cross-section.

📱 Enrich a mobile app database.

A developer runs a batch of hiking trail waypoints through the Actor to add elevation metadata before importing into their app.

🌊 Sample ocean floor depth.

A marine researcher uses the GEBCO 2020 dataset to look up bathymetry at a grid of sampling stations.

🇺🇸 Get high-resolution US heights.

A surveyor selects the NED 10m dataset to obtain the best available elevation for project sites in the United States.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key	Queries the public Open Topo Data service with no registration or authentication.
Fixed output schema	Every row returns the input coordinates, the elevation in meters, the dataset name, and the interpolation used.
Up to 1M points	Set a high maxItems to process large coordinate lists in a single run.
Multiple terrain models	Switch between global, regional, and bathymetric datasets with one input field.

How it compares

No other Store actor targets Open Topo Data the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

	Open Topo Data Elevation Scraper	Build it in-house	By hand
Setup	Run it now, zero config	Days of engineering	None, but hours per pull
When Open Topo Data changes	Maintained for you	You fix it	You re-learn the page
Proxies, retries, anti-bot	Built in	Your problem	Browser only
Output	Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export	Whatever you build	Copy-paste
Cost	Pay per result	Engineering time	Analyst hours

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a list of coordinates and pick the elevation model and interpolation method. The dataset and sampling are applied to every point in the request. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "maxItems": 10,
 "dataset": "srtm30m",
 "coordinates": [
 {
 "lat": 27.988,
 "lng": 86.925
 },
 {
 "lat": 48.858,
 "lng": 2.294
 },
 {
 "lat": 35.681,
 "lng": 139.767
 },
 {
 "lat": -22.951,
 "lng": -43.21
 },
 {
 "lat": 40.689,
 "lng": -74.045
 }
 ],
 "interpolation": "bilinear"
}

A larger pull:

{
 "maxItems": 200,
 "dataset": "srtm30m",
 "coordinates": [
 {
 "lat": 27.988,
 "lng": 86.925
 },
 {
 "lat": 48.858,
 "lng": 2.294
 },
 {
 "lat": 35.681,
 "lng": 139.767
 },
 {
 "lat": -22.951,
 "lng": -43.21
 },
 {
 "lat": 40.689,
 "lng": -74.045
 }
 ],
 "interpolation": "bilinear"
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.005 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.50
1,000 results	$5.00
10,000 results	$50.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the Open Topo Data Elevation Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Open Topo Data through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

$claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/opentopodata-elevation-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results for my coordinates?

Check that your coordinates are within the coverage area of the selected dataset. For example, NED 10m only covers the United States. Try switching to a global dataset like SRTM 30m.

Why does the run fail with a timeout?

A very large coordinate list may exceed the public service's request size limit. Reduce the maxItems count and split your coordinates across multiple runs.

Why are some elevation values negative?

Negative values indicate points below sea level, such as the Dead Sea or ocean bathymetry when using a model like GEBCO 2020.

Why do I get a connection error when using a custom server?

Verify that your customServer URL is reachable from the Apify platform and that the Open Topo Data API is running and responding on that host.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What coordinate format does this Actor expect?	Provide an array of objects with 'lat' and 'lng' keys in decimal degrees, for example [{"lat":27.988,"lng":86.925}].
Which elevation dataset should I choose?	SRTM 30m is a good global default for land. Use NED 10m for the USA, NZDEM 8m for New Zealand, EU DEM 25m for Europe, and GEBCO 2020 for ocean bathymetry.
Does this Actor work without an API key?	Yes. It queries the free public Open Topo Data service. No registration or authentication is needed.
What is the maximum number of coordinates I can look up?	You can set the maxItems input up to 1,000,000. The public service may have its own practical limits on request size, so very large lists are best split into multiple runs.
What interpolation method should I use?	Bilinear interpolation is the default and gives a smooth result. Use nearest neighbour if you want the raw grid value, or cubic for a slightly sharper estimate.
Can I use my own Open Topo Data server?	Yes. Set the customServer input to the URL of your private instance, and the Actor will send all requests there instead of the public service.
What elevation units are returned?	All elevation values are returned in meters.
Does this Actor support bathymetry or ocean depth?	Yes. Select the GEBCO 2020, EMODnet 2018, or ETOPO1 dataset to query ocean floor depth.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Open Topo Data. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.