American Falls Facts for Kids

For other uses, see American Falls (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids American Falls

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Location	Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.
Type	Cataract
Total height	110 ft (34 m)
Total width	950 ft (290 m)
Watercourse	Niagara River

The American Falls is one of the three amazing waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls. It's the second largest of the three. You can find it on the Niagara River, right on the border between Canada and the United States.

While the much bigger Horseshoe Falls is mostly in Canada, the American Falls is completely inside the United States. It's a truly powerful and beautiful sight!

Facts About American Falls
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Facts About American Falls

The American Falls gets about 11% of the water from the Niagara River. Most of the rest of the water flows over the Horseshoe Falls. Goat Island separates the American Falls from the Horseshoe Falls.

Size and Shape

The top edge of the American Falls is about 830 feet (250 m) wide in a straight line. If you measure along its jagged, uneven edge, it's about 950 feet (290 m) long. The rushing water going over the edge is usually about 2 feet (0.61 m) deep.

The height of the American Falls changes a bit. It can be anywhere from 70 to 110 feet (21–34 m) high. This measurement is taken from the top of the falls to the pile of rocks at its base. From the very top of the falls down to the river below, it's about 188 feet (57 m) tall.

How to See the Falls

Visitors can get very close to the edge of the American Falls from the American side. You can see the falls from the river bank. You can also visit Goat Island and Luna Island. These islands are connected by a bridge that crosses the fast-moving water of the Niagara River.

For a head-on view of the American Falls, you can go to the Canadian side in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Both sides offer amazing views!

Changes Over Time

The edge of the American Falls looks like a "W" shape. This is because many rocks have fallen over the past 150 years. These rockfalls have created a huge pile of rocks at the bottom of the falls. A big rockfall happened in 1954 near Prospect Point.

In 1969, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped the water flow over the American Falls for several months. They wanted to study the rockfalls and figure out how to keep the falls from turning into just a series of fast-moving waters. By December 1969, the water was flowing over the falls again. Later, it was decided to let nature take its course and not make big changes to the rock wall.