Fix Google Earth elevation not showing: restore the readout, 3D terrain or elevation profile, then solve cache, browser and graphics faults.
Google Earth elevation usually disappears because the status bar or Terrain layer is off, the view is in 2D, or terrain data has not loaded. In Google Earth Pro, enable View > Status Bar and Layers > Terrain, then reload the area. If only an elevation profile is missing, select a saved path first.
Which type of Google Earth elevation is missing?
The correct fix depends on whether you need a ground-height readout, visible 3D relief or a route profile.
| Symptom | Likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| No elevation number beside the coordinates | Status bar hidden or pointer not over the globe | Enable View > Status Bar |
| Mountains and valleys look flat | Terrain disabled, 2D view or a rendering fault | Enable Terrain, tilt the view and test a mountainous area |
| No elevation graph for a route | A placemark or unsaved measurement is selected | Create and save a path, then show its elevation profile |
| Google Earth has relief but the flight simulator is flat | The simulator lacks an elevation mesh | Repair the simulator's terrain or mesh scenery |
How do I restore elevation in Google Earth Pro?
In desktop Google Earth Pro, check the display controls before clearing data or reinstalling the application.
- Restore the elevation readout. Open
Viewand enableStatus Bar. Move the pointer over the ground; the bottom of the window should show coordinates, ground elevation and camera or eye altitude. Eye altitude is the camera's height, not the terrain height. - Turn on 3D terrain. In the Layers panel, tick
Terrain. Do not confuse this with 3D buildings, which add structures but do not control the underlying hills and valleys. - Tilt the camera. Relief can appear flat when viewed vertically from high altitude. Tilt towards the horizon, zoom into a clearly mountainous location and allow its tiles to finish loading.
- Check terrain exaggeration. If that setting has been changed, return it to its normal or default value. An unusually low value makes genuine relief difficult to see.
- Reload streamed data. Confirm that Google Earth is online, revisit the location and wait for the loading indicator to finish. If tiles remain incomplete, clear the memory and disk caches from Google Earth Pro's cache preferences, restart it and load the area again.
- Test the renderer. Update the graphics driver and switch between the available graphics modes if Google Earth Pro offers that choice on your system. Restart the application after changing the mode.
A mistake we see constantly is treating imagery and elevation as one layer. Satellite photographs can load while the terrain model fails, or the reverse. If the problem is actually blank, blurry or old photography, our explanation of imagery dates, tile loading and cached map data covers that separate issue.
Why does Google Earth still look flat?
A checked Terrain layer can still look flat when the camera is overhead, the region has little natural relief, or 3D rendering has fallen back to a reduced mode.
- In a web browser: switch from 2D to 3D and enable browser hardware acceleration. Update the browser and graphics driver if the 3D control is unavailable or immediately returns to 2D.
- On a filtered or unreliable connection: terrain tiles may fail even though previously cached imagery remains visible. Test another connection if permitted, then reload the location.
- After a cache failure: clear Google Earth's own caches rather than only the browser history.
- After settings corruption: reset Google Earth preferences only after backing up saved Places. Reinstallation should be the last step because it may retain the faulty profile or cache.
The web, mobile and desktop Pro editions do not expose every control in the same place. For a persistent cursor readout and full path-profile tools, Google Earth Pro is generally the clearest edition to use.
Why is Show Elevation Profile greyed out?
Show Elevation Profile requires a saved path rather than a single placemark, polygon or temporary ruler measurement.
- Create a path along the route and save it to Places.
- Select or right-click that path in the Places panel.
- Choose
Show Elevation Profile. - If the graph is empty, enable Terrain and let the route's terrain data load before trying again.
The graph represents Google's ground model along the path. It does not normally measure tree canopies, roof heights or every small embankment visible in the photograph.
Does Google Earth elevation fix flat flight-simulator scenery?
No. Google Earth terrain and a flight simulator's elevation mesh are separate datasets, so enabling Terrain in Google Earth will not repair flat scenery in Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, X-Plane or Prepar3D.
An orthophoto supplies ground texture; a mesh or digital elevation model supplies physical relief. Our comparison explains why Google Earth and Microsoft Flight Simulator can show different terrain. For X-Plane users, also check the streamed-map scenery, cache and layer configuration before assuming elevation data is missing.
How accurate is Google Earth elevation?
Google Earth elevation is an interpolated terrain estimate whose resolution and accuracy vary by location. It is suitable for general flight-simulation planning and visual checks, but not survey work, obstacle clearance calculations or engineering decisions. Small ridges, airport earthworks and recent man-made changes may be smoothed or absent.