Victoria Falls Height & Dimensions: The Numbers Behind the Wonder

Victoria Falls straddles the Zambia–Zimbabwe border on the Zambezi River. It is not solely in Zambia.

Height

• Maximum drop: 108 m (354 ft) — at Rainbow Falls (main curtain), peak flow
• Minimum drop: ~60 m (197 ft) — at Devil's Cataract, low flow
• Average: ~90–100 m depending on section & season

Width

• Total crest width: 1,708 m (5,604 ft) — one of the world's widest waterfall fronts
• Sections (west to east): Devil's Cataract (60 m), Main Falls (460 m), Horseshoe Falls (530 m), Rainbow Falls (320 m), Eastern Cataract (Zambia side, variable)

Flow Rate

• Mean annual: 1,088 m³/s (38,430 ft³/s)
• Peak (Apr–May): 3,000–6,000 m³/s (record 12,800 m³/s, 1958)
• Low (Nov–Dec): 200–300 m³/s

Comparisons

• Niagara: 51 m high, 1,203 m wide, 2,400 m³/s mean — wider but lower
• Iguazú: 82 m high, 2,700 m wide, 1,750 m³/s — wider, similar height
• Angel Falls: 979 m high — tallest, but narrow, low volume

Local Name

Mosi-oa-Tunya (Lozi/Kololo) = "The Smoke That Thunders" — describes the visible spray plume (300–500 m high) and roar audible 40 km away.