Niagara Falls is really two principal falls sharing one crestline: the curved Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the straight American Falls on the US side, split by Goat Island. About 2,832 cubic meters of water pour over the crestline every second - and about 90% of it goes over Horseshoe Falls. Toggle the flow-split colors to see that split, and the whirlpool marker to find the sharp bend downstream where the river doubles back on itself.
Published figures: combined average flow about 2,832 cubic meters per second (about 168,000 cubic meters per minute); Horseshoe Falls carries about 90% of that flow, American Falls about 10%; Horseshoe Falls height about 57 m (188 ft), crestline about 670 m (2,200 ft); American Falls height about 21-34 m (70-110 ft, varies with the talus rock pile at its base), width about 320 m (1,060 ft); Niagara Gorge runs about 11 km (7 mi) downstream to the Niagara Whirlpool, a sharp bend in the river about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) below the falls.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Niagara Falls 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Niagara Falls as its two principal cataracts along one shared crestline: the curved Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the straight-edged American Falls on the US side, split by Goat Island, dropping into the Niagara Gorge below, on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York, USA.
Niagara Falls formed as the last ice age ended and meltwater carved a path over the Niagara Escarpment. Erosion has since pushed the falls about 11 km (7 mi) upstream from where they first formed near Queenston, carving the gorge the river now runs through. About 2,832 cubic meters of water pour over the crestline every second, but the split is uneven: Horseshoe Falls, with its longer curved crest, carries about 90% of that flow, while American Falls carries the remaining 10%. About 4.5 km (2.8 mi) downstream, the river makes a sharp bend and forms the Niagara Whirlpool, a churning basin where the current doubles back on itself.
- Toggle flow-split colors to see the roughly 90/10 split between Horseshoe and American Falls
- Toggle the whirlpool marker to find the sharp bend in the gorge downstream
- Read flow rate, height, width, and gorge length in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Combined average flow | about 2,832 cubic meters per second (about 168,000 cubic meters per minute) |
| Flow split | Horseshoe Falls about 90%, American Falls about 10% |
| Horseshoe Falls height | about 57 m (188 ft) |
| Horseshoe Falls crestline | about 670 m (2,200 ft) |
| American Falls height | about 21-34 m (70-110 ft, varies with the talus rock pile at its base) |
| American Falls width | about 320 m (1,060 ft) |
| Niagara Gorge length | about 11 km (7 mi), downstream to the whirlpool |
| Niagara Whirlpool | about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) downstream, at a sharp bend in the river |
| Location | border of Ontario, Canada, and New York, USA |
For another place shaped by a river cutting through rock over thousands of years, see the Grand Canyon 3D Explorer, or for a different kind of dramatic water feature, the Great Blue Hole 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the crestline curve, gorge profile, and whirlpool placement are schematic teaching cues, not a survey-grade hydrological model.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water flows over Niagara Falls?
About 2,832 cubic meters per second on average (about 168,000 cubic meters per minute), combined across both falls.
Why does Horseshoe Falls carry more water than American Falls?
Horseshoe Falls has a longer curved crestline, about 670 m (2,200 ft), compared to American Falls' straighter edge. That extra crest length lets it carry about 90% of the total flow, leaving American Falls about 10%.
How tall are the falls?
Horseshoe Falls is about 57 m (188 ft) tall. American Falls is about 21-34 m (70-110 ft), and its height varies because a pile of fallen rock (talus) at its base has built up over time.
What is the Niagara Whirlpool?
About 4.5 km (2.8 mi) downstream of the falls, the Niagara River makes a sharp bend inside the gorge. The river's current doubles back on itself there, forming a churning circular whirlpool.
Where exactly is Niagara Falls?
On the Niagara River, on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York, USA.
Is this a scientific hydrological model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the crestline curve, gorge profile, and whirlpool placement are schematic teaching cues, not a survey-grade model.