# Gas mileage difference while driving in different states?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-mileage-difference-while-driving-in-different-states/87346>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [September 25, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-mileage-difference-while-driving-in-different-states/87346 "2014-09-25T01:19:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![B.L.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@B.L.E](https://community.cartalk.com/u/B.L.E)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-mileage-difference-while-driving-in-different-states/87346/61 "2023-02-16T04:17:11Z")

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> [@jtsanders](#):
>
> Coffee experts say that brewing coffee at about 200F produces the best coffee since it doesn’t extract bitter oils like 212F coffee would. Water boils at 200F at about 6500 ft above sea level. Even at 10,000 ft water boils at 190F. You’d have to be way up there to make coffee brewing impossible.

The coffee at work reminds me of my ex. Cold and bitter.

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**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 5:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-mileage-difference-while-driving-in-different-states/87346/62 "2023-02-16T05:24:12Z")

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> [@jtsanders](#):
>
> Even at 10,000 ft water boils at 190F. You’d have to be way up there to make coffee brewing impossible.

The boiling point isn’t the problem, heating the water takes longer, the campfire doesn’t burn as hot at high elevations.

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**Author:** ![B.L.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@B.L.E](https://community.cartalk.com/u/B.L.E)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-mileage-difference-while-driving-in-different-states/87346/63 "2023-02-16T12:19:34Z")

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> [@Nevada\_545](#):
>
> The boiling point isn’t the problem, heating the water takes longer, the campfire doesn’t burn as hot at high elevations.

I think the temperature of the fire is the same, but the thermal conductivity of low pressure air is less. A red-hot vacuum feels pretty much the same as an ice-cold vacuum. Piston engine high altitude bombers during WWII had problems keeping engines cool when flying at Mount Everest altitudes where the crew members had to breath oxygen. When air has only 1/3 the density of sea level air, it only has 1/3 the cooling capacity of sea level air. I have personally observed that 20 degrees F is a lot more bearable on a ski lift that’s 10,000 ft above sea level than it is in a place that’s near sea level.  
The reduced cooling capacity of high altitude air is why some electric motor nameplates have a maximum altitude rating stamped on them. Use them above that altitude and they have to be de-rated, same as when being used in ambient temperatures above 40C. (104F)

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