The St. Louis Gateway Arch is an elegant monument to westward expansion in the USA. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri, the 630-foot tall stainless steel arch rises above the city skyline. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial consists of the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and St. Louis' Old Courthouse.
How the design was chosen: There was a nationwide competition in 1947-1948 to design a monument in St. Louis honoring western pioneers. The architect Eero Saarinen (August 20, 1910 - September 1, 1961) won the contest with his sleek arch.
Construction: Construction of the arch began on February 12, 1963, and was finished on October 28, 1965. It was opened to the public on July 24, 1967. (after one of the trams was completed). It cost about 13 million dollars to build. The two bases are equilateral triangles (triangles with three 54 foot-long sides). At the top of the arch, the triangle is only 17 feet long on each side. Visitors enter the arch from an underground visitors center and can travel to the observation deck at the top in a 40-passenger tram that runs inside the arch.
The arch has 60-foot deep foundations. The arch is very stable and was built to withstand high winds and earthquakes. The structure sways about one inch in a 20 mph wind; it is designed to sway up to 18 inches in 150 mile per hour winds.
The Arch: The St. Louis Gateway Arch is in the form of an inverted catenary, which is a very stable structure that is often used in bridges, domes, and arches.
A catenary is the shape that a chain or necklace forms when held by the two ends. The Dutch mathematician Christiaan Huygens named this curve from the Latin word catenarius, which means "related to a chain."
The equation for a catenary curve is:
Facts and Figures about the St. Louis Gateway Arch:
| Height | 630 feet |
|---|---|
| Width at the base | 630 feet |
| Weight | 43,000 tons |
| Exterior composition | Stainless steel |
| When it was built | February 12, 1963 -October 28, 1965 |
| Depth of the foundation | 60 feet |
| Architect | Eero Saarinen |
| Structural Engineer | Fred Severud |
| Location | In the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, 11 North Fourth Street, St. Louis, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River |
| Time it takes to travel in the tram to the observation deck at the top of the arch | About 4 minutes (it travels at a rate of 240 feet per minute) |
| Number of steps in each leg of the arch (the stairs are used only for maintenance and emergencies) | 1,076 |
Related Pages:
 St. Louis Gateway Arch Coloring PrintoutColor the St. Louis Arch and read about it. |
 Missouri Read about Missouri, its geography, symbols, etc. |
 Symbols of the USA A page on some of the many symbols that represent the United States of America. |