Jaipur's topography is a striking mix of level plains and rugged hills. The central city and its modern expansions are built on a relatively flat plain at an average elevation of 431 meters (1,414 feet) above sea level. This flatness was crucial to the city's original grid-iron planning.
The city is cradled by the Aravalli hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. The highest points in the immediate vicinity are found in these northern and eastern ridges, which rise abruptly from the plains to elevations exceeding 600 meters. The Jhalana and Amagarh hills to the southeast create a natural boundary that today separates the urban sprawl from surrounding wilderness areas, including urban leopard reserves.