How Tall Is the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. When completed, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world at 300 meters — a record it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building was completed in New York in 1930.

One of the most surprising facts about the Eiffel Tower is that its height changes with the weather. The iron structure expands in heat and contracts in cold. On hot summer days, thermal expansion can make the tower grow by up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches). The top of the tower can also sway 6–7 centimeters in the wind.

The tower was originally intended to stand for only 20 years and was scheduled for demolition in 1909. It was saved because it proved valuable as a radio transmission tower — it was used to intercept enemy communications during World War I. Today, it houses over 120 antennas for radio and television broadcast, which is why its current height of 330 meters exceeds the original 300-meter iron structure.

Each year, approximately 7 million people visit the Eiffel Tower, making it the most visited paid monument in the world. The tower weighs about 10,100 tonnes and is repainted every 7 years using 60 tonnes of paint. It takes a team of 25 painters about 18 months to complete each paint job. Since its opening, over 250 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower.