By Kevin Lee, Updated Mar 24, 2022
John Moore/Getty Images – News/Getty Images
Niagara Falls, a world‑renowned natural marvel, is actually composed of three distinct waterfalls: the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls in New York, and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls in Ontario. Visitors often overlook this fact, but understanding each fall’s dimensions and history offers a richer appreciation of the site.
The American Falls stretches 259 m (850 ft) across, making it the widest of the trio. Bridal Veil Falls is considerably narrower, measuring only 15.2 m (50 ft). The Canadian Horseshoe Falls dominates both in width and height, spanning 670.6 m (2,200 ft) and plunging 57.3 m (188 ft) to the river below—taller than its American and Bridal Veil counterparts, which drop 54.9 m (180 ft). All three cascades are fed by the Niagara River as it flows over the dramatic edge of the Niagara Escarpment, a steep topographic feature that extends through Ontario and New York.
During the last Ice Age, the Niagara region was buried beneath up to one mile of glacial ice. As the glaciers receded roughly 16,000 years ago, meltwater from the Great Lakes sought new pathways. By about 12,000 years ago, the water found its way through the Niagara Escarpment, initiating the carving of the Niagara River. Today, visitors witness the river’s impressive flow—169,901 L (6 million ft³) per minute—plunging over the escarpment’s edge.
12,000 years ago, the falls were located approximately 11.23 km (7 mi) further downstream than they are now. The relentless force of the water has eroded the surrounding rock, gradually pulling the falls upstream. This process, which also created the Niagara Gorge, persists to this day, moving the falls at an estimated rate of 0.3 m (1 ft) per year.
