Zoom out from an average adult to the tallest coast redwood
The tallest coast redwood 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 → Coast redwood
The tallest coast redwood is about 4.8–7.7 times as tall as a megalodon is long.
Step 2: Megalodon and Coast redwood at the same scale.
Dimensions
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tallest known tree (Hyperion) | 116.07 m | 380.81 ft | Hyperion, measured by climbing and direct tape-drop; 2019 height (it was 115.55 m in 2006) | [1] |
| Common mature height | at least 61 m | at least 200 ft | Redwoods over 61 m (200 ft) are common; many trees on deep, moist riverside benches exceed 91 m (300 ft). Approximate | [2] |
| Maximum trunk width | up to 6.7 m | up to 22 ft | Trunk width at the base of the largest coast redwoods (NPS also gives 7 m). Maximum | [3] |
About the tallest coast redwood
The coast redwood is the tallest tree species on Earth. Its natural range is an irregular coastal strip about 724 km long, from the far southwest corner of Oregon to Monterey County in California, where heavy summer fogs keep the air humid. The tallest known specimen, a tree named Hyperion in Redwood National Park, was discovered in 2006; Guinness World Records lists its 2019 height as 116.07 m. Redwoods taller than 61 m (200 ft) are common, and the biggest trunks reach about 7 m (22 ft) wide at the base.
- Hyperion was discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor on 25 August 2006; its 2006 height, measured by climbing and direct tape-drop, was 115.55 m (379 ft 1.2 in). [1]
- Guinness World Records gives Hyperion's trunk diameter as 4.94 m (16 ft 2.5 in) and its estimated aboveground dry mass as 209 metric tonnes. [1]
- Hyperion is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old. [1]
- The US Forest Service says redwood trunks 610 cm (240 in) or more in diameter at 1.5 m above the ground are rare. [2]
- The oldest redwood found so far, dated by growth-ring counts, is nearly 2,200 years old. [2]
- The redwood belt is generally 8 to 56 km (5 to 35 mi) wide and runs from the Chetco River in Oregon to Salmon Creek Canyon in southern Monterey County, California. [2]
- Save the Redwoods League describes Hyperion as standing 380 feet tall. [4]
How many fit?
- ≈ 69 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Coast redwood · tallest known tree (hyperion)
- ≈ 2.3 × Olympic swimming pool · length lined up end to end match the Coast redwood · tallest known tree (hyperion)
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
- 69× The tallest coast redwood is about 69 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
- 2.3× The tallest coast redwood is about 2.3 times as tall as an Olympic swimming pool is long. See side by side
- 1.6× The tallest coast redwood is about 1.6 times as tall as a Boeing 747 is long. See side by side
- 1× The tallest coast redwood is about as tall as the Saturn V. See side by side
- 1/1.7 The Gateway Arch is about 1.7 times as tall as the tallest coast redwood. See side by side
- 1/2.3 The Titanic is about 2.3 times as long as the tallest coast redwood is tall. See side by side
Factors compare the tallest known tree (hyperion) of the tallest coast redwood 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
- Hyperion's height is re-measured from time to time. The latest figure on an authoritative page is Guinness World Records' 2019 value of 116.07 m, which agrees with Save the Redwoods League's rounded 380 ft. Enthusiast and press sites report later remeasurements (2025-2026), but no primary source for them could be fetched, so they are left out.
- The NPS 'About the Trees' page still gives a maximum height of 367 feet (112 m), and the USDA Forest Service silvics manual gives 112.1 m measured in 1964. Both predate Hyperion's discovery, so the NPS page is used only for trunk width.
- The 22 ft (7 m) trunk width from NPS is measured at the base. The Forest Service measures diameter at 1.5 m above the ground, where it calls trunks of 610 cm (20 ft) or more rare, so the two figures are not directly comparable.
- No authoritative source gives a closed typical height range, so common height is recorded as a lower bound ('more than 61 m is common').
Sources
- Guinness World Records, Tallest tree living. Accessed 24 September 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Redwood | Silvics of North America. Accessed 24 September 2026.
- National Park Service, Redwood National and State Parks, About the Trees. Accessed 24 September 2026.
- Save the Redwoods League, Coast Redwoods. Accessed 24 September 2026.