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.
Mine at Y 48, ideally inside a Dripstone Caves biome where a second batch with much larger veins generates.
100%Y 48. Every figure on this page is read from the 26.2 worldgen files the game itself ships, so it reflects what actually generates rather than a community estimate.
Copper is a triangle from Y -16 to Y 112 peaking at Y 48, attempting 16 veins per chunk. That band sits comfortably above the deepslate layer, so most copper you meet is the stone variant.
Dripstone Caves change the maths. That biome, and only that biome, adds ore_copper_large, a second batch on the same Y range with vein size 20 instead of 10. It is the single most biome-specific ore batch in the game, more restricted even than badlands gold.
If you have found a dripstone cave, mine copper there. If not, Y 48 in any ordinary terrain is the answer, and copper is common enough that you will rarely need to plan around it.
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_copper | 16 | triangle Y -16 to 112, peak Y 48 | 10 | none |
| ore_copper_largedripstone caves only | 16 | triangle Y -16 to 112, peak Y 48 | 20 | none |
ore_copper_large exists in exactly one biome out of 67. Inside a Dripstone Caves biome, copper veins can reach 20 blocks instead of 10, on top of the normal batch.
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 48. The copper distribution is a triangle from Y -16 to Y 112 peaking there, with 16 attempted veins per chunk.
A Dripstone Caves biome at Y 48. That biome is the only one in the game that adds a second copper batch with double the vein size.
Yes, below Y 0, but the distribution is thin down there. Most copper generates in the stone layer above.
Two to five raw copper, increased by Fortune. Large veins in dripstone caves can produce a lot in one place.
Related ore levels:
