What is the Minecraft height limit?

The height limit in Minecraft has affected many players. However, this limit has changed many times throughout its development. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the build height limit in Minecraft, along with several facts you probably did not known!

What is the height limit in Minecraft?

Dimension	Height Limit
Overworld	320
Nether	256
The End	256

The current height limit in the newest 1.20 Minecraft update is Y = 320, and the game allows the player to build all the way down to Y = -64. This means players have 383 blocks of vertical space to build in. Past these limits, the game will not allow you to place blocks and you will get the following error message.


However, there are also different height limits in the Nether and The End. In the Nether, from the bottom of the Nether to the bedrock roof, players have a 128-block height limit. However, using glitches, it is possible to reach the bedrock layer above the Nether, which increases the height limit to 256.



The height limit in The End Minecraft dimension is also 256. However, because the End contains mostly air, you won't have to use any glitches to reach this height limit.

The history of Minecraft's height limits

Over the years of Minecraft development, the world height limit has changed dramatically. These changes could be categorized into four different stages:

Java Edition Classic (0.30 alpha)

One of the first publicly available versions of Minecraft included a height limit of only 64 blocks! There was barely enough room for tall buildings, forcing terrain features to be extremely minimal. Of course, being one of the first versions, these limitations are understandable, given the game's limited functionality at the time.

Java Edition Infdev (Infdev 20100630)

The height limit in Java Edition Infdev was increased from 64 blocks to 128 blocks. This increase allowed for more exciting terrain generation and taller buildings. This version of Minecraft is also known for introducing Minecraft's infinite procedural world generation, which was a significant milestone in its development and allowed for worlds of infinite size.

Java Edition (1.2.1)

With Minecraft taking shape at this point in development, players greatly welcomed an increase in height limit from 128 blocks to 256 blocks. This change could be attributed to the developer's choice to change the file type of worlds from
Region files to Anvil files, which allowed for more optimization. While this height limit expanded the player's ability to build structures, world generation did not utilize this increased height.

Java Edition (1.18)

Finally, in the recent 1.18 Minecraft update, the world height limit was increased from 256 blocks to 320 blocks. In addition, the bottom bedrock layer of the overworld was decreased to Y level -64, creating a 383-block-tall building area. This increase allowed for a much-needed overhaul of mountain terrain, which came in the Caves and Cliffs update.

Many minor changes were made between these four stages of development, and technical hurdles were overcome. If you are interested in this topic, we recommend watching Ibxtoycat's "The History Of Build Height In Minecraft," which goes into greater detail.

How to check your height in Minecraft

In vanilla Minecraft, players can use the f3 key to view their current height in the debug menu, otherwise known as Y level or Y coordinate. The f3 menu also shows the X and Z coordinates. Once open, simply look at the line of text starting with "XYZ."



However, it is worth noting that the XYZ coordinates are the coordinates of the player's feet, which means the displayed height is slightly lower than eye level.

While the debug menu works for showing your current Y level, it is not always the most straightforward method, as having an overwhelming amount of text on your screen isn't ideal. Alternatively, we recommend checking out two Minecraft mods that will display height without needing to enter the debug menu.
The first mod we recommend trying is the coordinates mod. As the name suggests, this Minecraft mod displays your current coordinates on your screen all the time. To download this mod, first install Badlion Client here. Badlion Client is an extensive Minecraft mod pack that contains 70+ useful Minecraft mods, including the coordinates mod, all with just a single download.

Once you have Badlion Client installed and set up, enter a Minecraft world and hit the Right-Shift key. This will open the Minecraft mod menu, from which you can search for and enable the "Coordinates" mod.



After enabling the mod, you should see a new coordinates display on your screen!



The second mod that shows Minecraft height and is also included in Badlion Client is the block info mod. Unlike the coordinates mod, this Minecraft mod shows the coordinates of the block you are looking at, not the player's location. For this reason, this mod is excellent for builders, who may need to keep track of the height at which they place blocks.



Now that you know all about Minecraft's height limit, you can make informed decisions regarding your future projects. If you enjoy learning about Minecraft's exciting features, we recommend checking out our 5 Interesting Minecraft Facts article here. Or, if you are looking to improve your survival skills, check out our survival guide here.