How Wide is the Grand Canyon?

A visit to the Grand Canyon gives visitors an opportunity to see billions of years of geological history. There is no other place like it in the United States!

About 5 million visitors a year visit Grand Canyon National Park to see this immense chasm stretching more than 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, which attains a depth of over a mile (6,000 feet).

The Grand Canyon was carved over some 6 million years by a combination of geological activity and erosion by the Colorado River. One of America’s most fabled waterways, the Colorado River is 1,450 miles long from its source in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of California.

The Grand Canyon was designated a National Park by an act of Congress on February 26, 1919. It is one of the most famous natural wonders in the United States and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The National Park, which is headquartered on the South Rim, is larger than the state of Rhode Island. There are so many activities to experience when you visit this region. Here is our list of the top 10 ways to experience the Grand Canyon. The National Park measures in at a whopping 1,904 square miles in total. In comparison, Rhode Island is around 1,212 square miles.

The widest part of the Grand Canyon is located at its eastern end in Arizona and its elevation spans from around 2,000 feet to over 8,000 feet. The Grand Canyon's width varies from around 6,000 feet at its narrowest points to nearly 18 miles (29 kilometers) across at its widest point near Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim village.

One of the marvels of visiting the Grand Canyon is the incredible views stretching all the way from the North Rim to the South Rim. As far as you can see, the Colorado Plateau extends out in a kaleidoscope of colorful geology. Tourists to this area are wowed by the depth and width; the entire area is renowned for its visually stunning size and colorful landscape.

The Grand Canyon reaches its widest point at 18 miles across near the South Rim entrance. At this section, known as Grand Canyon Village, the canyon expands dramatically allowing visitors panoramic views of layered red rock formations and the Colorado River winding below.

Size: 1,904 square miles

Length: 278 river miles

Width: Minimum at Marble Canyon, 600 feet

Average Width: 10 miles

Maximum Width: 18 miles

How wide is the Grand Canyon at its narrowest point?

Marble Canyon is the narrowest point in the Grand Canyon. Here, the Grand Canyon narrows to just about 600 feet across!

How wide is the Grand Canyon at its widest point?

Near the South Rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park, the widest point of the entire Grand Canyon is found. Here, at its widest point, the visits extend about 18 miles across from the South Rim to the North Rim.

What is the widest and deepest canyon in the world?

Located in Tibet along the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the widest and deepest canyon in the world. The deepest part of the canyon registers nearly 20,000 feet (19,714 feet exactly) and the canyon's average depth is 7,440 feet. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet, China is the world's widest canyon, measuring over 549 kilometers (341 miles) wide at its widest point. It is also one of the deepest canyons on Earth and is known as the "Grand Canyon of Asia". At 313 miles long, it is also slightly longer than the Grand Canyon. In second place is Australia’s Grand Canyon, Capertee Valley is more than 18.5 miles wide. Its massive sandstone cliffs are just wider than the Grand Canyon.