Grade From Elevation Calculator

About this calculator

Slope grade expresses steepness as a percentage: the vertical rise divided by the horizontal run, multiplied by 100 — Grade % = ((End elevation − Start elevation) / Horizontal distance) × 100 — which is different from the slope angle in degrees, though the two are related by angle = arctan(rise/run). A 100% grade is a 45° slope, not vertical, which is a common point of confusion.

Grade percentage is the standard unit used in road and trail construction, civil engineering drawings, and outdoor recreation: highway grades are typically kept under about 6–8%, ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps must generally stay at or below 8.3% (1:12), and hiking or cycling routes are often rated by their steepest sustained grade. This calculator takes a start and end elevation and the horizontal distance between them and returns the rise, the grade percentage, and the equivalent slope angle.