The world’s tallest waterfall is more than 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. Most people guess Niagara is in the top 5. It is not in the top 200.
How to Play: Guess if the waterfall on the right is TALLER or SHORTER than the one on the left.
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Top 10 Tallest Waterfalls
Height alone is one of several ways to rank waterfalls — others include single-drop height (no breaks), volume, and width. The figures below are total height (cumulative drop) of named falls, the most common public measure.
| # | Name | Height (m) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angel Falls | 979 | meters |
| 2 | Tugela Falls | 948 | meters |
| 3 | Tres Hermanas Falls | 914 | meters |
| 4 | Olo'upena Falls | 900 | meters |
| 5 | Yumbilla Falls | 895 | meters |
| 6 | Vinnufossen | 860 | meters |
| 7 | Balaifossen | 850 | meters |
| 8 | Pu'uka'oku Falls | 840 | meters |
| 9 | James Bruce Falls | 840 | meters |
| 10 | Browne Falls | 836 | meters |
How Waterfall Height Is Measured
Waterfall height is the vertical distance water descends from the lip to where it meets the next horizontal surface. For multi-drop falls, total height is the cumulative descent including any pool-to-pool steps; plunge height is the longest single uninterrupted drop.
Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) in Venezuela holds the world record at 979 meters of total height with a 807-meter uninterrupted plunge. The fall is so tall that water often atomizes into mist before reaching the ground during the dry season. It was named after American aviator Jimmie Angel, who landed nearby in 1937.
The world’s most famous waterfalls are not the tallest — they are the most voluminous or visually iconic. Niagara Falls (51 m) is in the bottom tier of waterfalls by height, but its 168,000 m³/min flow rate makes it one of the highest-volume falls. Iguazu and Victoria are similarly modest in height but spectacular in width.
Norway holds an outsized share of the world’s tallest waterfalls because of its glacier-carved fjord landscape. The country has at least eight named waterfalls above 700 meters. Several technically rank higher than the ‘top 10’ list above but get categorized as cascades rather than single waterfalls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the world's tallest waterfall?
Angel Falls in Venezuela at 979 meters total height. Its longest uninterrupted plunge is 807 meters, also a world record.
Why isn't Niagara in the top 10?
Niagara is famous for volume, not height. At 51 meters, it is shorter than waterfalls most people have never heard of. Tugela Falls in South Africa, the second-tallest in the world, is 18 times taller than Niagara.
How is total waterfall height different from plunge height?
Total height includes all stepped drops cumulatively; plunge height is the single longest uninterrupted vertical drop. James Bruce Falls in Canada has the same total height as Angel Falls but with multiple drops.
Are these heights certain?
Most are within ±5 meters. Some falls in remote areas have been re-surveyed and reclassified — Tres Hermanas in Peru jumped 200 meters in published height after a 2007 survey.
Note: Heights in meters are total cumulative drop. Some falls have been re-measured in the 21st century and figures may continue to be refined.
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