Fun Facts About Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls

Fun Facts

1. The word “Niagara” was derived from the Iroquois Indian word “Onguiaahra” meaning “The Strait”.

2. Age of Niagara Falls: 12,000 yrs old.

3. Niagara Falls are the second largest falls in the world next to Victoria Falls in Southern Africa. The highest falls in the world are “Angel Falls” in Venezuela, measuring 979 m (3212 ft) high. What makes Niagara Falls so spectacular is the combination of their height and volume.

4. 3 different Falls make up what we call “Niagara Falls”: The Canadian Horseshoe Falls, The American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.

5. Number of tourists who visit the Falls every year: 12 million.

6. Size of the Falls: The rim of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls measures about 792 m (2200 ft). The American Falls measure about 323 m (850 ft). The Bridal Veil Falls measure about 15m(50 ft). Both The Canadian Horseshoe Falls and The American Falls measure 57 m (188 ft) in height to the Niagara River below.

7. Volume of water going over the American Falls: 567,810 L/second (150,000 gallons/second)

8. Volume of water going over the Horseshoe Falls: 2,271,240 L/second (600,000 gallons/second)

9. Source of water going over Falls: The 683,760 km² (264,000 square miles) of water that plunges over the Falls comes from four of the great lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie. Once the water flows over the Falls, it travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, where it then flows into the St. Lawrence River and finally into the Atlantic Ocean.

10. Depth of Falls: Before the upper waters were used for the generation of power, the depth of the water on the rim was about 3 m (10 ft). Today, the water over the Falls measures an average of 0.6 m (2 ft) along the entire rim.

11. Deepest section of Niagara River: 52 m (170 ft), just below The Falls.

12. Number of Nights The Falls Are Lit Up: 365. During the summer, the Falls are lit up between 9 pm and midnight. At other times of the year, the Falls are lit up when it gets dark.

13. Length of Whirlpool Rapids: 1.6 k m(1 mile) . This is where the water drops 15 m (50 ft), and speeds can reach as high as 9 metres per second (30 feet per second).

14. Date first steam powered boat was launched into the waters beneath the Falls: It was on May 1846, that the Maid of the Mist was launched into the swirling waters.