kansas increases in elevation from east to west. the highest place in the state is mount sunflower near the colorado border. mount sunflower is 4,039 ft (1,231 m) tall. the lowest point is the verdigris river in montgomery county, at 679 ft (207 m) above sea level. it is a common misconception that kansas is the flattest state – in 2003, a tongue-in-cheek study famously said the state is "flatter than a pancake". kansas has a maximum topographic relief of . this makes kansas the 23rd flattest u.s. state.