Zoom out from an average adult to the Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is too big to show next to an average adult in one picture, so here it is in 2 steps. Each step is drawn to its own scale and zooms out from the step before.
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Step 1 of 2 Human → Megalodon
A megalodon is about 8.6–15 times as long as an average adult is tall.
Step 1: Human and Megalodon at the same scale. -
Step 2 of 2 Megalodon → Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is about 7.9–13 times as tall as a megalodon is long.
Step 2: Megalodon and Gateway Arch at the same scale.
Dimensions
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum height | 192 m | 630 ft | Maximum height of the arch (192 m) | [1] |
| Outer width | 192 m | 630 ft | From the outside of the north leg to the outside of the south leg (192 m) | [1] |
| Leg dimension at base | 16.5 m | 54 ft | Size of each leg's triangular cross-section at the base (16.46 m); it narrows to 17 ft (5.18 m) at the top | [1] |
| Total steel weight | 4,644 t | 5,119 US tons | All steel in the arch, in metric tons; the fact sheet also gives 5,199 tons | [1] |
| Total concrete weight | 34,570 t | 38,110 US tons | All concrete, in metric tons (the fact sheet also gives 38,107 Tons) | [1] |
About the Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is a stainless-steel monument in St. Louis, designed by architect Eero Saarinen to commemorate Thomas Jefferson's vision. It has the shape of a weighted catenary, and its steel skin carries its own weight without an internal frame. The National Park Service gives it a maximum height of 630 ft (192 m) and the same 630 ft width between the outer faces of its legs, and calls it the nation's tallest monument.
- The foundations are reinforced concrete reaching 60 ft deep, with 30 ft set into bedrock. [2]
- The outer skin is 900 tons of polished stainless steel in panels 1/4 in thick, over an inner wall of 3/8 in carbon steel. [2]
- The arch is built from 142 sections and is designed to deflect 18 in in a 150 mph wind. [1]
- The Park Service's construction sequence shows the arch rising between February 29, 1964 and October 28, 1965. [2]
How many fit?
- ≈ 110 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Gateway Arch · maximum height
- ≈ 55,000 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Gateway Arch · total steel weight
- ≈ 2.1 × Statue of Liberty · ground to tip of torch lined up end to end match the Gateway Arch · maximum height
- ≈ 58 × Statue of Liberty · weight of copper skin on the scales weigh as much as Gateway Arch · total steel weight
Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.
How it compares
- 110× The Gateway Arch is about 110 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
- 2.1× The Gateway Arch is about 2.1 times as tall as the Statue of Liberty. See side by side
- 1.5× The Gateway Arch is about 1.5 times as tall as SpaceX's Starship. See side by side
- 1.4× The Gateway Arch is about 1.4 times as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza. See side by side
- 1/1.7 The Eiffel Tower is about 1.7 times as tall as the Gateway Arch. See side by side
- 1/2.3 The Empire State Building is about 2.3 times as tall as the Gateway Arch. See side by side
Factors compare the maximum height of the Gateway Arch with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.
Notes on these figures
- The fact sheet gives the steel weight as 5,199 tons and 4,644 metric tons, which do not convert exactly into each other; the metric figure is stored.
- The steel and concrete weights are listed separately and the foundations are reinforced concrete, so neither figure is the weight of the visible arch alone.
Sources
- U.S. National Park Service, Gateway Arch Fact Sheet. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- U.S. National Park Service, Arch Architecture. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- U.S. National Park Service, Gateway Arch. Accessed 25 September 2026.