Scale Explorer

Nature

How tall is the General Sherman tree?

General Sherman tree · Giant sequoia, Sequoia National Park, California · Sequoiadendron giganteum

Height above base
83.8 m 275 ft
Maximum diameter at base
11.1 m 36.4 ft
Circumference at ground
31.1 m 102 ft
Average crown spread
32.5 m 107 ft
Show
Human, Semi truck, Basketball court (NBA), General Sherman tree drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Semi truck: overall length (wb-67 design vehicle) ≈ 23 m. Basketball court (NBA): length 28.7 m. General Sherman tree: height above base 83.8 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mSemi truck: ≈ 23 mBasketball court (NBA): 28.7 mGeneral Sherman tree: 83.8 mGeneral Sherman tree83.8 mSemi truck≈ 23 mBasketball court (NBA)28.7 mHuman1.61–1.75 m
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

Compare General Sherman tree with something else →

Zoom out from an average adult to the General Sherman tree

The General Sherman tree 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.

  1. Step 1 of 2 Human → Megalodon

    A megalodon is about 8.6–15 times as long as an average adult is tall.

    Human, Megalodon drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Megalodon: maximum length (estimates) 15–24.3 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mMegalodon: 15–24.3 mMegalodon15–24.3 mHuman1.61–1.75 m
    Step 1: Human and Megalodon at the same scale.

  2. Step 2 of 2 Megalodon → General Sherman tree

    The General Sherman tree is about 3.4–5.6 times as tall as a megalodon is long.

    Megalodon, General Sherman tree drawn to the same scaleMegalodon: maximum length (estimates) 15–24.3 m. General Sherman tree: height above base 83.8 m.Megalodon: 15–24.3 mGeneral Sherman tree: 83.8 mGeneral Sherman tree83.8 mMegalodon15–24.3 m
    Step 2: Megalodon and General Sherman tree at the same scale.

Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Height above base 83.8 m 275 ft Height above the base of the trunk; the park also gives 274.9 ft [1]
Maximum diameter at base 11.1 m 36.4 ft Widest diameter at the base of the trunk (36.5 ft) [1]
Circumference at ground 31.1 m 102 ft Distance around the trunk at ground level (102.6 ft) [1]
Average crown spread 32.5 m 107 ft Average width of the crown (106.5 ft) [1]
Wood volume ≈ 1,490 m³ ≈ 52,500 cu ft Estimated volume of the tree; the park gives 1,486.6 cubic meters. Approximate [1]
Trunk weight up to 1,300 t up to 1,400 US tons The park says the trunk alone weighs 'nearly 1,400 tons'; branches and roots are not included. Maximum [1]

About the General Sherman tree

The General Sherman Tree is a giant sequoia in the Giant Forest grove of Sequoia National Park, California. The National Park Service calls it the largest tree in the world by volume, estimating its wood at about 52,500 cubic feet. It stands 274.9 ft (83.8 m) above its base and measures 102.6 ft (31.1 m) around at the ground.

  • The trunk is 17.5 ft (5.3 m) across at 60 ft above the base and 14.0 ft (4.3 m) across at 180 ft above the base. [1]
  • The first large branch starts 130.0 ft (39.6 m) above the base, and the largest branch is 6.8 ft (2.1 m) in diameter. [1]
  • In lumber terms the tree probably holds about 630,000 board feet of wood. [1]
  • The world's second-largest tree, the General Grant Tree, stands in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 50 × Human · height lined up end to end match the General Sherman tree · height above base
  • ≈ 15,000 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as General Sherman tree · trunk weight
  • ≈ 2.1 × Boeing 737 · length lined up end to end match the General Sherman tree · height above base
  • ≈ 16 × Boeing 737 · maximum takeoff weight on the scales weigh as much as General Sherman tree · trunk weight
  • ≈ 35 × Boeing 737 · lower-deck cargo volume packed inside, by volume fill General Sherman tree · wood volume

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

  • 50× The General Sherman tree is about 50 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
  • 2.1× The General Sherman tree is about 2.1 times as tall as a Boeing 737 is long. See side by side
  • 1.4× The General Sherman tree is about 1.4 times as tall as an NHL ice hockey rink is long. See side by side
  • 1/1.1 The General Sherman tree is about as tall as the Statue of Liberty. See side by side
  • 1/1.5 SpaceX's Starship is about 1.5 times as tall as the General Sherman tree. See side by side
  • 1/2.3 The Gateway Arch is about 2.3 times as tall as the General Sherman tree. See side by side

Factors compare the height above base of the General Sherman tree 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

  • 'Largest' refers to volume of wood; taller trees exist, including coast redwoods.
  • The park does not say which ton it means for the trunk weight; short tons (2,000 lb) are assumed because the page uses US customary units. The figure covers the trunk only.
  • The park's statistics table gives no measurement date, and the tree's dimensions change slowly as it grows and loses branches.
  • The tree outline is illustrative; only its height is to scale.

Sources

  1. U.S. National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, The General Sherman Tree. Accessed 25 September 2026.

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