A living cross-section of the world, drawn from the game's real worldgen odds. Drag to set your mining depth, click an ore column to inspect it.
Caving above Y 136 exposes huge surface veins; underground, branch mine at Y 96 where the lower batch peaks.
73%Y 96, or anything above Y 136. Every figure on this page is read from the 26.3 worldgen files the game itself ships, so it reflects what actually generates rather than a community estimate.
Coal is the most abundant ore in the game and the only one with a band running above Y 136. The upper batch is uniform from Y 136 to the world ceiling and attempts 30 veins per chunk, which is why exposed mountainside and cliff faces are covered in it.
The lower batch is a triangle from Y 0 to Y 192 peaking at Y 96. If you are already underground, Y 96 is where that batch is densest. Both batches place veins of up to 17 blocks, the joint largest of any ore, so a single find is usually worth a full stack of fuel.
In practice coal is rarely worth a dedicated trip. It turns up constantly while mining for anything else, and above Y 136 you can gather it from the surface without tunnelling at all.
Minecraft places ore in separate batches, each with its own count, height range and vein size. A discard value above zero means the game throws away veins that would touch open air, which is what decides whether caving or tunnelling is the better approach.
| Batch | Veins/chunk | Range | Vein size | Air discard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ore_coal_upper | 30 | uniform Y 136 to world top | 17 | none |
| ore_coal_lower | 20 | triangle Y 0 to 192, peak Y 96 | 17 | 50% |
ore_coal_upper runs uniformly from Y 136 to the build limit at 30 veins per chunk. No other ore has a band that high, which is why mountain faces are visibly studded with coal and nothing else.
The peak level differs for each ore, and a few of them share a band closely enough to mine on one trip. The full interactive chart is on the ore distribution hub.
| Ore | Best Y level |
|---|---|
| diamonds | Y -59 |
| netherite | Y 15 |
| iron | Y 16 underground, Y 232 in mountains |
| coal | Y 96, or anything above Y 136 |
| gold | Y -16, or anywhere in a badlands |
| redstone | Y -59 |
| lapis lazuli | Y 0 |
| copper | Y 48 |
| emeralds | Y 232, mountain biomes only |
| nether quartz | Any level from Y 10 to 117 |
| nether gold | Any level from Y 10 to 117 |
Y 96 if you are mining underground, because the lower batch peaks there. Above Y 136 a separate batch runs uniformly to the build limit, so surface gathering on mountains is often faster than mining.
The upper coal batch generates uniformly from Y 136 upward at 30 veins per chunk. Mountains are the only terrain that puts solid stone in that range, so all of it ends up visible.
Up to 17 blocks, tied with nothing else in the game for the largest ore vein size. Most veins come out smaller because the shape is fitted into available stone.
Not specifically. The lower batch reaches down to Y 0 but is thin there. You will pick up plenty incidentally while mining for iron or diamonds.
Related ore levels:
