How high is War Memorial Stadium?
| Source | Elevation | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wyoming | 7,220 ft | Official athletics figure for the stadium. |
| USGS 1 m elevation data | ≈7,219 ft | Ground reading at the centre of the stadium outline (41.3116° N, 105.5682° W). |
| Terrain grid (90 m) | 2,200 m ≈7,218 ft | A coarse grid estimate, not a field survey. |
| Visit Laramie | 7,215 ft | Tourism page figure for the playing field. |
Everything lands between 7,215 and 7,220 feet. None of these is a surveyed playing-surface height, so we use the university’s 7,220 ft as the headline. We previously listed 7,205 ft across the site; that came from a coarser stadium-database value and is logged on our corrections page.
How it compares
- Falcon Stadium (Air Force)6,726 ft (494 lower)
- LaVell Edwards Stadium (BYU), approx.4,675 ft (2,545 lower)
- Folsom Field (Colorado)5,315 ft (1,905 lower)
- Empower Field at Mile High (Denver)5,280 ft (1,940 lower)
Laramie is about 1,940 feet higher than Denver’s Mile High. See the full college football elevation ranking and the BYU elevation guide.
How much thinner is the air?
At 2,200 metres, NASA’s reference-atmosphere equations give air density about 81% of sea level, roughly 19% lower. Pressure is about 77% of the sea-level value.
19% less dense
Illustrative standard atmosphere, not a kickoff measurement and not a 19% increase in kick distance.
Less dense air means less drag on a kick or a deep pass, so the ball tends to carry further. How much further depends on launch angle, spin, temperature and especially wind, which in Laramie is often the bigger factor. Cold air is denser, and that partly offsets the altitude late in the season.
Does Wyoming have an altitude advantage?
It is plausible venue context, not a proven Wyoming edge. Visiting teams from low elevations have less oxygen available per breath, and acclimatising takes longer than a road trip. But this guide contains no game-results analysis and no betting backtest. Measuring a real home-field effect would need adjustments for team strength, opponents, travel and weather.
Before a game in Laramie
The elevation never changes; the weather does. War Memorial is an open stadium on the high plains between the Snowy Range and the Laramie Range, and wind, cold and early-season snow can matter more on the day than the altitude. Check the forecast close to kickoff.
War Memorial Stadium weatherFrequently asked
What is the elevation of Wyoming’s football stadium?
War Memorial Stadium is about 7,220 feet above sea level, the figure the University of Wyoming publishes. A USGS 1-metre elevation reading at the centre of the stadium gives about 7,219 feet, so the two agree.
Is War Memorial Stadium the highest stadium in college football?
Yes, it is the highest FBS stadium. Air Force’s Falcon Stadium is second at about 6,726 feet, roughly 500 feet lower.
Why do some sites say 7,215 or 7,205 feet?
Sources measure different points or round differently: Visit Laramie quotes 7,215 feet for the playing field, and we previously listed 7,205 feet from a coarser stadium-database value. The 15-foot spread makes no practical difference to the air.
Does the altitude give Wyoming a home advantage?
The thinner air is real, but this guide does not measure a Wyoming win, scoring or betting edge. That would need a study adjusted for team strength, opponents and weather.
Sources and scope
- University of Wyoming Athletics: Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium: 7,220 ft, 29,181 seats, home of Cowboy football since 1950.
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service: ≈7,219 ft at the stadium centre, checked 2026-10-29.
- OpenStreetMap stadium outline: the location used for the readings.
- Open-Meteo terrain lookup: 2,200 m grid estimate.
- Visit Laramie: War Memorial Stadium: 7,215 ft field figure.
- NASA Glenn Earth atmosphere equations: the illustrative density and pressure calculation.