CanningDates › Altitude › Pennsylvania › State College
Canning at about 1,170 ft in State College
State College sits at about 1,170 ft, where water boils a little cooler than the recipes assume. Add 5 minutes to any water-bath time, set a dial gauge to 11 lb, and a weighted gauge to 15 lb — the label below is the whole answer.
STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA
- ELEVATION
- ≈1,170 FT
- WATER BATH
- +5 MIN
- DIAL GAUGE
- 11 LB
- WEIGHTED
- 15 LB
Adjustments use the 1,001–3,000 ft band, so small elevation differences nearby rarely change your numbers.
canningdates.com
canningdates.com — State College, PA at about 1,170 ft, from the published USDA adjustment bands. Low-acid foods must be pressure canned.
State College at about 1,170 ft
Happy Valley sits higher than it feels: State College reads about 1,170 ft on the valley floor beneath Mount Nittany, which means five added water-bath minutes. It's near enough to the band edge that a few low-lying spots in the wider region may fall on the shorter side, while much of Centre County's plateau country runs higher still — your own address settles it.
Adjustments come in bands, not curves. The whole 1,001–3,000 ft band gets the same 5 added minutes and the same 11 lb dial setting, so the difference between your kitchen and about 1,170 ft almost never matters. Live near the top of the band and unsure which side you're on? Use the higher band — a little extra processing costs texture; too little costs safety.
As for the number itself: State College's elevation was checked against the USGS elevation service, starting from the NOAA weather-station inventory (STATE COLLEGE). Elevation shifts block to block in any town, but the bands are wide on purpose — a station a few miles out almost never changes the row.
Not your kitchen? The altitude lookup turns any ZIP or town into a card like this one. Recipe already in hand? The processing time adjuster takes your recipe's minutes and applies State College's band for you.
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes do I add to a water-bath recipe in State College?
Add 5. State College sits at about 1,170 ft, in the 1,001–3,000 ft band, so whatever process time your tested recipe gives for the lowest band, add 5 minutes to it and hold a full boil for the whole time.
What pressure do I set in State College?
11 lb on a dial gauge, 15 lb on a weighted gauge. Weighted gauges come in fixed steps, which is why the weighted number sits higher than the dial's — both reach the tested temperature inside the canner at State College's elevation.
My kitchen isn't at exactly about 1,170 ft — do my numbers change?
Almost certainly not. The whole 1,001–3,000 ft band shares one answer, so block-to-block differences around State College are already priced in. The only case worth a thought is a home near the band's edge — then use the higher band's numbers, which err on the safe side.
Do pressure-canning times change with altitude too?
No — this is the part canners like. A pressure canner restores the tested temperature by raising pressure, so the minutes stay exactly as the recipe states them. In State College that means the right pounds — 11 on the dial, 15 weighted — and the printed time, unchanged.