Height, Dimensions
& Fascinating Facts

330 metres of iron, 2.5 million rivets, and over a century of stories. Everything you ever wanted to know about the numbers behind the Iron Lady.

The Numbers

How Tall Is
the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower stands 330 metres (1,083 feet) tall including its broadcast antenna, making it the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognizable landmarks on Earth.

Eiffel Tower full height view from the ground showing all three levels
Total Height

330 Metres – 1,083 Feet

The Eiffel Tower's total height of 330 metres includes the broadcast antenna added to its summit. The original wrought-iron structure, as designed by Gustave Eiffel and built for the 1889 World's Fair, reaches 300 metres (984 feet). When completed, it surpassed the Washington Monument (169m) as the world's tallest man-made structure – a record it held for 41 years.

Total Height (with antenna) 330m / 1,083 ft
Structural Height (iron) 300m / 984 ft
Base Dimensions 125m × 125m
Record Held Tallest: 1889–1930
Height in context: The Eiffel Tower is roughly the same height as an 81-storey building. Stacked end to end, it would take about 2.5 Statues of Liberty (93m each) to match its structural height.
View looking up at the Eiffel Tower iron lattice structure

Height Compared to Other Monuments

How does the Eiffel Tower stack up against the world's most famous structures? It dwarfs many iconic landmarks while being modest compared to modern skyscrapers.

Statue of Liberty 93m – 3.5× shorter
Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) 96m – 3.4× shorter
Leaning Tower of Pisa 56m – 5.9× shorter
Empire State Building 443m – 1.3× taller
Eiffel Tower structural details and iron beams

Height vs. Modern Skyscrapers

While the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest structure for over four decades, today's supertall buildings dwarf it. Yet the tower remains the tallest structure in Paris by law.

Burj Khalifa (Dubai) 828m – 2.5× taller
Shanghai Tower 632m – 1.9× taller
Tokyo Skytree 634m – 1.9× taller
CN Tower (Toronto) 553m – 1.7× taller

Level by Level

The Three Floors
of the Eiffel Tower

Each level offers a distinct experience, from restaurants and glass floors to the breathtaking summit panorama.

1st Floor

57 Metres – 187 Feet

The first floor sits 57 metres above the ground and covers 4,200 square metres. It features a glass floor where you can look straight down, educational exhibits about the tower's history, and a brasserie-style restaurant. Reached by 360 steps or elevator.

2nd Floor

115 Metres – 377 Feet

At 115 metres, the second floor is where many visitors say the views are best – close enough to identify landmarks yet high enough for a sweeping panorama. The gourmet restaurant Jules Verne is located here. Reached by 674 steps from the ground or elevator.

Summit

276 Metres – 906 Feet

The summit observation deck at 276 metres offers a 360-degree view stretching up to 72 kilometres (45 miles) on a clear day. Here you can visit the recreation of Gustave Eiffel's private office and the champagne bar. Accessible only by elevator from the 2nd floor.

Antenna

330 Metres – 1,083 Feet

The broadcast antenna at the very top brings the tower to its full 330-metre height. It serves over 100 radio and television channels across the Paris region. The antenna is not accessible to the public but is critical to why the tower was never demolished.

Weight & Materials

What the Eiffel Tower
Is Made Of

The Eiffel Tower is a marvel of wrought-iron engineering. Despite its enormous size, it was built in just over two years with remarkable precision.

Total Iron Weight: 7,300 Tonnes

The iron lattice structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs approximately 7,300 metric tonnes (about 8,047 US tons). This is the weight of the puddled iron alone – the refined wrought iron that gives the tower its distinctive appearance and strength.

The total weight of the entire structure, including non-iron components such as concrete foundations, elevators, restaurants, and fittings, is approximately 10,100 metric tonnes.

2.5 Million Rivets

Holding the entire structure together are approximately 2.5 million rivets, each one driven in by hand during the original construction between January 1887 and March 1889. A team of 300 workers assembled 18,038 individual iron pieces using these rivets.

The precision was extraordinary: the prefabricated pieces arrived from the factory with rivet holes already drilled to a tolerance of one-tenth of a millimetre.

60 Tonnes of Paint

Every seven years, the Eiffel Tower receives a fresh coat of paint – a process that requires approximately 60 tonnes (about 66 US tons) of paint and takes 18 months to complete by a team of 25 painters working entirely by hand.

The tower has been painted 19 times since its construction. It is painted in three slightly different shades, darkest at the bottom and lightest at the top, to create a uniform appearance against the sky.

Iron Density Paradox

Despite weighing 7,300 tonnes, the Eiffel Tower's iron lattice is remarkably light for its size. If you melted down all the iron and poured it across the 125m × 125m base, the resulting sheet would be only 6.25 centimetres (about 2.5 inches) thick.

The air pressure exerted by the iron on the ground is roughly equivalent to the pressure of a person sitting in a chair – about 4.5 kg per square centimetre.

Engineering

Engineering Marvels
Behind the Design

Gustave Eiffel's team solved problems in the 1880s that still impress structural engineers today.

01

Wind Resistance

The lattice structure was mathematically optimized to resist wind forces. The tower's curved shape is not purely aesthetic – it follows an exponential curve that distributes wind load evenly. Even in the strongest recorded winds, the top of the tower has never swayed more than 12 centimetres (about 5 inches).

02

Thermal Expansion

On hot summer days, the iron expands and the Eiffel Tower can grow up to 15 centimetres (6 inches) taller. The tower also leans away from the sun – up to 18 cm – as the sun-facing side heats and expands more than the shaded side. This phenomenon is most noticeable at sunrise and sunset.

03

Foundation Design

The four massive legs rest on concrete foundations sunk to a depth of 5 metres on the Seine-side pillars and 9 metres on the opposite side (to account for softer ground near the river). Hydraulic jacks in the base allow for precise levelling – the tower is level to within 2.5 centimetres across its 125-metre base.

04

Construction Speed

The tower was built in just 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days – from 28 January 1887 to 31 March 1889. At its peak, 300 workers assembled the structure on-site, while another 100 prepared pieces in the factory. Remarkably, only one worker died during construction, an unusually low number for the era.

Fun Facts

Surprising Facts
About the Eiffel Tower

From secret apartments to engraved scientist names, the Eiffel Tower is full of stories most visitors never hear.

1,665 Steps to the Top

The Eiffel Tower has exactly 1,665 steps from ground level to the top. Visitors can climb 674 steps to reach the second floor – the highest point accessible by stairs. From there, only the elevator continues to the summit. Each year, a stair-climbing race attracts hundreds of athletes who race to the second floor in under 8 minutes.

20,000 Sparkling Lights

Every evening, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of each hour after dark. This dazzling display uses 20,000 individual light bulbs installed across the structure. The sparkling light show was first introduced for the millennium celebration in 2000 and proved so popular it became a permanent feature.

It Was Supposed to Be Temporary

Gustave Eiffel's tower was built as a temporary entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair (Exposition Universelle), celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution. The original plan called for demolition after 20 years. It was saved because Eiffel had installed a radio antenna at the top, which proved invaluable for French military communications.

It Grows in Summer

Due to thermal expansion of its iron structure, the Eiffel Tower is measurably taller in summer than in winter. On the hottest days, it can gain up to 15 centimetres in height. The tower also leans slightly – up to 18 centimetres – toward the shaded side as the sun heats the iron unevenly throughout the day.

72 Scientists Engraved on the Tower

Look closely at the first-floor frieze and you'll find the names of 72 eminent French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians engraved on the tower. Gustave Eiffel included names like Lavoisier, Ampere, and Fresnel as a tribute. The engravings were painted over in the early 20th century but restored in 1986–87.

Gustave Eiffel's Secret Apartment

At the very top of the tower, Gustave Eiffel built a private apartment for himself. It included a grand piano, a laboratory, and comfortable furnishings. Eiffel used the apartment to entertain guests, including Thomas Edison, who visited in 1889. The apartment has been recreated with wax figures and is visible to summit visitors today.

7 Million Visitors Per Year

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world, welcoming approximately 7 million visitors annually. Since its opening in 1889, the tower has received over 300 million visitors. On the busiest summer days, up to 25,000 people ascend the tower in a single day.

Sold as Scrap Metal – Twice

In 1925 and again in 1926, con artist Victor Lustig famously "sold" the Eiffel Tower to scrap metal dealers. Posing as a government official, Lustig convinced buyers that the city could no longer afford the tower's maintenance. The first victim was so embarrassed he never reported the crime, allowing Lustig to try the scheme a second time.

Records

Records &
World Comparisons

For 41 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure ever built. Its legacy extends far beyond height alone.

01

Tallest Structure: 1889–1930

From its completion in March 1889 until the Chrysler Building was topped out in New York in 1930, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure on Earth. It surpassed the 169-metre Washington Monument and remained unchallenged for over four decades – an eternity in the age of industrial ambition.

02

Most-Visited Paid Monument

With approximately 7 million visitors each year, the Eiffel Tower holds the record as the world's most-visited paid monument. It surpasses the Colosseum in Rome (about 6 million), the Statue of Liberty (about 4 million), and Machu Picchu (about 1.5 million). Over 300 million people have visited since 1889.

03

Most Reproduced Structure

The Eiffel Tower is the most reproduced structure in the world, with over 30 notable replicas spanning from Las Vegas (165m) to Tokyo Tower (333m, inspired by the design). The tower appears on countless souvenirs, stamps, films, and artworks, making it arguably the most iconic building on the planet.

04

Tallest Structure in Paris

Even today, the Eiffel Tower remains the tallest structure in Paris. Strict building height regulations (generally 37 metres within central Paris) ensure no skyscraper will overshadow it. The tallest building in the Paris metro area, Tour First in La Défense, reaches 231 metres – still 99 metres shorter than the tower.

At a Glance

Quick Stats &
Key Numbers

Dimensions

Total height: 330m (1,083 ft)

Structural height: 300m (984 ft)

Base width: 125m × 125m (410 ft)

Top platform width: 18.6m (61 ft)

Weight & Materials

Iron weight: 7,300 tonnes

Total weight: 10,100 tonnes

Rivets: 2,500,000

Iron pieces: 18,038

Construction

Built: 1887–1889 (2 years, 2 months, 5 days)

Workers on-site: 300

Workshop drawings: 5,300

Cost (1889): 7.8 million gold francs

Operations

Annual visitors: ~7 million

Total visitors since 1889: 300+ million

Paint used per cycle: 60 tonnes

Repainting frequency: Every 7 years

FAQ

Frequently Asked
Questions

How tall is the Eiffel Tower in feet?

The Eiffel Tower is 1,083 feet (330 metres) tall including its antenna. The structural iron portion reaches 984 feet (300 metres). The observation deck at the summit is at 906 feet (276 metres), which is the highest point visitors can reach.

How much does the Eiffel Tower weigh?

The iron structure weighs 7,300 metric tonnes (about 8,047 US tons). The total weight of the entire tower including foundations, elevators, and fittings is approximately 10,100 metric tonnes. Despite this mass, the iron exerts surprisingly low ground pressure – equivalent to a person sitting in a chair.

How many steps does the Eiffel Tower have?

There are 1,665 steps from the ground to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can climb 674 steps to the second floor, which is the highest level accessible on foot. From there, an elevator continues to the summit at 276 metres. The annual Eiffel Tower Vertical race challenges athletes to sprint up the stairs.

Why was the Eiffel Tower almost demolished?

The Eiffel Tower was built as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 World's Fair and was originally scheduled for demolition in 1909. Many Parisians, including prominent artists and intellectuals, petitioned against it during construction, calling it an eyesore. It was ultimately saved because of its value as a radio transmission tower, which proved critical for military communications during World War I.

Does the Eiffel Tower sway in the wind?

Yes, but very little. The Eiffel Tower's lattice structure was specifically designed to handle wind loads efficiently. At the summit, the maximum recorded sway is about 12 centimetres (roughly 5 inches) in extreme winds. On a typical windy day, the movement is barely perceptible. The tower is far more affected by thermal expansion than by wind.

How often is the Eiffel Tower painted?

The Eiffel Tower is repainted every 7 years to protect it from rust. The process requires 60 tonnes of paint and takes about 18 months to complete. A team of 25 painters works entirely by hand, using brushes rather than sprays to ensure precision. The tower is painted in three graduated shades – darkest at the base, lightest at the top – to enhance its visual uniformity against the sky.

← Back to Home