It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean.

Its specific epithet comes from the Latin elatus (tall), in reference to its growth habit.

[2] Pandanus elatus is an erect tree, with basal prop roots, that grows to 20 m in height.

Its leaves grow to 3 m long and 100 mm wide, dark green and with marginal prickles.

[2] The tree is closely related to P. leram Jones, of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the southern coasts of Sumatra and western Java.