Towering mountains have captivated human interest and inspired awe for thousands of years. Many civilizations have revered the grandest mountains as sacred places and associated them with mythological creation stories and powerful deities. The sheer size of such peaks can make us feel tiny, and the millions of years it took them to form make our lives look like brief blips.
The world’s tallest mountains are spread across the globe, but nine of the top 10 are in Asia, primarily in the ranges of western China, Pakistan, and Central Asia. These mountains were slowly formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which began 55 million years ago. This process continues to this day: The Himalayas are still growing by a little more than a centimeter every year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Andes, the mountain range that stretches throughout South America, is home to Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the planet outside of Asia. But tectonic forces are at work all over the globe, and some of the world’s tallest mountains are found on every continent. China is the country with the most mountains on this list, followed by the United States. (These are the tallest mountains in America.)
For some, these towering peaks are a challenge, meant to be conquered. Climber George Mallory, who perished in his attempt to be the first to climb Mount Everest, was pressed on why he wanted to climb the mountain and simply replied “Because it’s there.” Summiting any of the world’s highest peaks is a tremendous feat and requires an enormous amount of training and equipment.
Luckily, many of the world’s tallest mountains are also great for more casual visitors. They are in accessible and protected natural areas and are teeming with hiking trails, wildlife, and beautiful scenery. Mountains like Denali in Alaska and Mount Rainier in Washington are central attractions in some of the most visited national parks in the U.S.
Click here to see the tallest mountains in the world
To determine the tallest mountains in the world, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from WorldData.info on mountain height and location. Mountains are ranked by the height above mean sea level of their highest peak. The source material gives heights in meters; we’ve converted them to feet as well. Location data on countries and mountain ranges also comes from WorldData.
50. Taftan
> Mountain range: Balochistan Mountains
> Height: 12,930 feet (3,941 meters)
> Location: Iran
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49. Yushan
> Mountain range: Yushan Range
> Height: 12,966 feet (3,952 meters)
> Location: Taiwan
48. Mount Robson
> Mountain range: Canadian Rockies
> Height: 12,989 feet (3,959 meters)
> Location: Canada
47. Mount Marcus Baker
> Mountain range: Chugach Mountains
> Height: 13,094 feet (3,991 meters)
> Location: USA
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46. Mount Waddington
> Mountain range: Coast Mountains
> Height: 13,186 feet (4,019 meters)
> Location: Canada
45. Mount Cameroon
> Mountain range: Cameroon line
> Height: 13,255 feet (4,040 meters)
> Location: Cameroon
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44. Mount Kinabalu
> Mountain range: Crocker Range, Borneo
> Height: 13,435 feet (4,095 meters)
> Location: Malaysia
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Source: Public Domain / Internet Archive Book Images / Flickr
43. Mount Boising
> Mountain range: Finisterre Range
> Height: 13,615 feet (4,150 meters)
> Location: Papua New Guinea
42. Toubkal
> Mountain range: Atlas Mountains
> Height: 13,671 feet (4,167 meters)
> Location: Morocco
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41. Volcán Tajumulco
> Mountain range: Sierra Madre de Chiapas
> Height: 13,845 feet (4,220 meters)
> Location: Guatemala
Source: thyegn / iStock via Getty Images
40. Mount Rainier
> Mountain range: Cascade Range
> Height: 14,413 feet (4,393 meters)
> Location: USA
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39. Mount Elbert
> Mountain range: Sawatch Range (Rocky Mountains)
> Height: 14,439 feet (4,401 meters)
> Location: USA
38. Mount Whitney
> Mountain range: Sierra Nevada
> Height: 14,495 feet (4,418 meters)
> Location: USA
37. Belukha Mountain
> Mountain range: Altai Mountains
> Height: 14,783 feet (4,506 meters)
> Location: Kazakhstan, Russia
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36. Mount Karisimbi
> Mountain range: Virunga Mountains
> Height: 14,787 feet (4,507 meters)
> Location: Congo, Rwanda
35. Mount Wilhelm
> Mountain range: Bismarck Range
> Height: 14,793 feet (4,509 meters)
> Location: Papua New Guinea
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Source: 51217537@N00 / Flickr
34. Ras Dashen
> Mountain range: Simien Mountains
> Height: 14,928 feet (4,550 meters)
> Location: Ethiopia
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
33. Klyuchevskaya Sopka
> Mountain range: Kamchatka
> Height: 15,584 feet (4,750 meters)
> Location: Russia
32. Mont Blanc
> Mountain range: Alps
> Height: 15,774 feet (4,808 meters)
> Location: Italy, France
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31. Puncak Jaya
> Mountain range: Sudirman Range
> Height: 16,024 feet (4,884 meters)
> Location: Indonesia
30. Vinson Massif
> Mountain range: Sentinel Range
> Height: 16,050 feet (4,892 meters)
> Location: Antarctica
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
29. Pik Talgar
> Mountain range: Trans-Ili Alatau
> Height: 16,335 feet (4,979 meters)
> Location: Kazakhstan
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28. Pico Bolívar
> Mountain range: Sierra Nevada de Mérida
> Height: 16,342 feet (4,981 meters)
> Location: Venezuela
Source: nealherbert / Flickr
27. Mount Blackburn
> Mountain range: Wrangell Mountains
> Height: 16,391 feet (4,996 meters)
> Location: USA
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Source: Ron and Patty Thomas / E+ via Getty Images
26. Mount Stanley
> Mountain range: Rwenzori Mountains
> Height: 16,762 feet (5,109 meters)
> Location: Congo, Uganda
25. Mount Ararat
> Mountain range: Armenian Highlands
> Height: 16,854 feet (5,137 meters)
> Location: Turkey
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24. Ritacuba Blanco
> Mountain range: Cordillera Oriental
> Height: 17,749 feet (5,410 meters)
> Location: Colombia
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
23. Bogda Peak
> Mountain range: Bogda Shan
> Height: 17,864 feet (5,445 meters)
> Location: China
22. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
> Mountain range: Yun Range
> Height: 18,360 feet (5,596 meters)
> Location: China
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21. Mount Damavand
> Mountain range: Alborz
> Height: 18,406 feet (5,610 meters)
> Location: Iran
20. Pico de Orizaba
> Mountain range: Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
> Height: 18,491 feet (5,636 meters)
> Location: Mexico
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19. Mount Elbrus
> Mountain range: Caucasus Mountains
> Height: 18,510 feet (5,642 meters)
> Location: Russia
18. Pico Cristóbal Colón
> Mountain range: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
> Height: 18,701 feet (5,700 meters)
> Location: Colombia
Source: squashedbox / Getty Images
17. Mount Kilimanjaro
> Mountain range: Eastern Rift mountains
> Height: 19,341 feet (5,895 meters)
> Location: Tanzania
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16. Mount Logan
> Mountain range: Saint Elias Mountains
> Height: 19,551 feet (5,959 meters)
> Location: Canada
Source: 1111IESPDJ / E+ via Getty Images
15. Denali
> Mountain range: Alaska Range
> Height: 20,312 feet (6,191 meters)
> Location: USA
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14. Chimborazo
> Mountain range: Cordillera Occidental
> Height: 20,548 feet (6,263 meters)
> Location: Ecuador
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13. Buni Zom
> Mountain range: Hindu Raj
> Height: 21,463 feet (6,542 meters)
> Location: Pakistan
12. Xuelian Feng
> Mountain range: Tian Shan
> Height: 21,742 feet (6,627 meters)
> Location: China
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11. Mercedario
> Mountain range: Cordillera de la Ramada
> Height: 22,047 feet (6,720 meters)
> Location: Argentina
10. Chakragil
> Mountain range: Kunlun Mountains
> Height: 22,178 feet (6,760 meters)
> Location: China
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9. Aconcagua
> Mountain range: Andes
> Height: 22,835 feet (6,960 meters)
> Location: Argentina
8. Gyala Peri
> Mountain range: Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains
> Height: 23,930 feet (7,294 meters)
> Location: China
7. Jengish Chokusu
> Mountain range: Kakshaal Too
> Height: 24,406 feet (7,439 meters)
> Location: China, Kyrgyzstan
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6. Ismoil Somoni Peak
> Mountain range: Pamir Mountains
> Height: 24,590 feet (7,495 meters)
> Location: Tajikistan
5. Mount Gongga
> Mountain range: Daxue Mountains
> Height: 24,790 feet (7,556 meters)
> Location: China
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4. Kongur Tagh
> Mountain range: Kongur Shan
> Height: 25,095 feet (7,649 meters)
> Location: China
3. Tirich Mir
> Mountain range: Hindu Kush
> Height: 25,289 feet (7,708 meters)
> Location: Pakistan
2. K2
> Mountain range: Karakoram
> Height: 28,251 feet (8,611 meters)
> Location: Pakistan
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Source: Zzvet / iStock via Getty Images
1. Mount Everest
> Mountain range: Himalayas
> Height: 29,032 feet (8,848 meters)
> Location: Nepal, China
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