St. Louis Arch Height: Curious Facts On The Tallest Monument Revealed!

Anusuya Mukherjee
Oct 25, 2023 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Originally Published on Nov 19, 2021
Image of the St. Louis Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 4.4 Min

The St. Louis gateway arch is one of the famous monuments across the united states and is also knowns as the world's tallest arch.

In the very center of the Gateway Arch National Park lies the St. Louis gateway arch, which is around 623 ft (190 m) in height and one of the famous monuments, even leaving behind the Washington monument in height.

The arch is near the Mississippi River and was designed by Eero Saarinen, and the construction began in the year 1963.

The St. Louis gateway arch was made to dedicate it to the American population.

The arch symbolized the American people and was also a symbol of the gateway to the west.

The same arch is also a globally accepted symbol of St. Louis. The arch's design was carefully devised, small to big details such as the arch's south leg and north leg were carefully planned in a way to not disturb the symmetry or architecture of the other buildings.

The legs of the arch were built differently and it was a very delicate matter as if the measurements would be wrong even by a fraction, the classic catenary curve of the top of the arch would not be completed.

During the construction the workers had to be extremely careful as even a fraction of shift in the measurement would lead to them not being able to give the arch its curve at the top.

As the workers working on the St. Louis gateway arch would be working from very high up, and there was no safety net available at that time, the insurance company predicted that there would be atleast 13-14 casualties while working on the gateway arch.

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Is the St. Louis Arch taller or wider?

The gateway arch is constructed just beside the Gateway Arch National Park and the national park service. There were several close alerts and limited capacity, due to the small area that was present for the construction of the arch, however, still it came out wonderfully constructed.

The world-famous St. Louis arch is made from stainless carbon steel and lies in the heart of the city of St. Louis. Although, when we look at the arch, it may look like it's taller and less wide.

This is not the case. There were many extraordinary events that happened at the arch's observation deck, one such as the tram system of the arch was provided by a worker who had no previous education in the field of engineering.

Thus, it's not surprising that the innovation that went behind creating the arch is extraordinary.

The gateway arch is just as tall as its wide. This means that the measurements of its height and width are the same.

Since the visitors cannot look at the gateway arch straight, it gives an illusion that its height is longer than its width. The height and width are the same, that is 630 ft (192 m).

What is the maximum height of the St. Louis gateway arch?

The famous gateway arch is situated in downtown St. Louis, and a lot of visitors visit. However, while visiting the gateway arch, visitors must abide by certain rules which are also known as the 19 safety measures guests must follow.

The width and height of the arch are the same, an extraordinary amount of talent went behind the making of the arch.

However, visitors can safely take the tram ride to the top of the arch. The tram system or tram ride takes around four minutes and in order to make it easier for visitors to experience the gateway arch, the travel organization of the gateway arch is currently selling tram rides to make them safer and enjoyable.

The maximum height to which the visitors can go is 630 ft (192 m), which is also the maximum height of the arch.

Downtown St. Louis viewed from below the arch.

Can buildings in St. Louis be taller than the arch?

The gateway arch is 630 ft (192 m) tall and 630 ft (192 m) wide. The construction of the whole monument took around four years and the monument is dedicated to the American population.

The St. Louis gateway arch is situated in downtown St. Louis, near the old courthouse. The monument is higher than all the buildings in the city and is even higher than the Washington monument, hence it's not possible for another building to be that tall unless it's a skyscraper.

Which is taller, St. Louis Arch or Eiffel Tower?

The St. Louis gateway arch is indeed very tall and even taller than the Washington monument, it has a height of 630 ft (192 m) and is one of the tallest monuments in the United States.

The same arch is even bigger than the Statue of Liberty - it's almost twice the size of the Statue of Liberty. However, when we compare the St. Louis arch with the Eiffel Tower, the case is different.

The Eiffel Tower is taller than the St. Louis gateway arch, its height is 984 ft (299 m), whereas the gateway arch is just 630 ft (192 m).

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about the St. Louis arch, then why not take a look at facts about predators of moose, or facts about blobfish.

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Written by Anusuya Mukherjee

Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

Anusuya Mukherjee picture

Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".

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