One hundred feet is a commonly used term to describe distances, building sizes, and heights.
But measuring exactly how big 100 feet really is can be tricky.
There are many different ways to measure distance, height, and length, and it can vary depending on where you live and the context of the measurement.
If you’re looking for something that is exactly 100 feet tall, there aren’t many options available.
However, if you want to know how much space it takes up, we’ve got some helpful tips.
You might think that you could just measure the length of the object with a tape measure.
While this works well for smaller objects, it doesn’t work for larger ones.
For example, a person standing next to a tree trunk won’t be able to use a tape measure to accurately determine how big the tree is.
This is why we recommend using common household items such as plants, furniture, and even animals to estimate the size of things.
In fact, we found some pretty interesting items that are actually 100 feet tall or 100 feet away.
Here are some common items that are roughly 100 feet tall for reference.
A Jet Aircraft
The Boeing 737-500 jet airplane is one of the smaller versions of the 737 family.
This particular variant has a length of about 99 feet and it was introduced by Southwest Airlines way back in 1987.
In fact, the first one was delivered to them in 1990. Over the years, the plane became very popular among many different airlines around the world.
So have a look at some images online to help you visualize 100 feet.
2 Semi Trailer Trucks
A normal semi-truck is about 50 feet long. To visualize a length of 100 ft., imagine two semi-trucks parked next to each other.
Now, measure the distance between the front wheels of the third truck and the rear axle of the second truck. You’ll see that it measures 100 feet.
This works because the length of a semi-trailer is measured from the front of one trailer to the rear of the next.
If you want to know the length of a container, just multiply the length of a standard semi-trailer by two. For example, a 40-foot container is 80 feet long.
2 Shipping Containers
A shipping container, such as ones used to transport goods around the world, is typically about 50 feet long.
If you can imagine two of those containers laid side-by-side, you can roughly visualize how much space 100 feet takes up.
Two Megalodons
Although they don’t exist today because they went extinct in the Pliocene era, giant megalodon sharks are actually fairly well known thanks to science and science fiction.
They’re often considered to be one of the largest shark species to ever have existed, but their exact sizes and appearances are debated, as no full skeletons have ever been found.
In general, though, it’s estimated that megaman sharks could grow to between 47 to 67 feet in length.
If we take an average of 50-foot-long megalodon, we can say that 2 megalodons together might equal close to 100 feet.
Whale sharks, which exist today, can grow to 50 or even more feet in length, so imagining two of those gentle sharks together can also give us an idea of how big 100 feet in length might look like.
A Blue Whale
Blue whales are one of the most massive creatures on Earth. They’re also among the longest-living mammals, with some individuals reaching over 90 years old.
But despite their size, it isn’t clear how big blue whales actually are.
Scientists estimate that the average male measures around 100 feet long while females are smaller, measuring closer to 60 feet.
Three School Buses
School buses come in many different sizes, depending on where they’re being used.
Smaller ones are often referred to as “minibusses,” while larger models are called “full-size.”
These terms don’t necessarily mean much, though, because there isn’t really a standard size for a school bus. A mini-bus might be 10 feet long, while a full-sized one could be anywhere from 40 to 60 feet long.
Medium-sized buses are the largest type of school bus, and these tend to be the most common model.
They’re typically around 35 feet in length, meaning that picturing three of these buses lined up next to each other can give you a pretty good idea of how far 100 feet in total actually is.
A 10 Story Building
In general, one story in the average-sized building is around 10 feet high.
For example, a typical office building might have 20 floors, each floor being 10 feet high.
So, a single story in such a building would be around 30 feet tall. If we combine several stories into one building, the total height becomes closer to 100 feet.
Of course, buildings come in many different shapes and sizes, so a 10-story building could be much taller or shorter than 30 feet.
Some buildings are even topped off with a peaked roof, giving them a little extra height.
And sometimes, a few stories in a building may be slightly taller or smaller than 10 feet, which causes some discrepancies in the overall size of a building.
Two Cyprus Trees
Cyprus trees, which are conifers closely related to pines, grow up to 50 feet tall. In fact, they look like pine trees, except that they are much wider.
Their needles are long and thin, and they often come in shades of green and brown.
You’ll find them growing throughout the Mediterranean region, including in Italy and other parts in Europe.
They’re especially common in landscapes where there is space for a large garden, such as yards and parks.
Because of their shape and size, they make good hedges, too. And while they aren’t very fast growing, they do well in partial shade.
A typical cypress tree grows to about 50 ft tall, although some may grow slightly shorter or taller than that.
There are many different varieties of cypresses, but they tend to fall into three basic categories: dwarf types, semi-dwarf types, and full-size types.
Dwarf varieties usually reach heights of no more than 10 feet, while full-sized varieties can grow to over 20 feet tall.
If you’ve got two of them side by side, you can use that information to figure out approximately how tall 100 feet is — assuming that they are both roughly the same height.
Giraffes
Giraffes are pretty tall – in fact, they are one of the tallest animals on Earth.
They are known for being graceful and elegant, and are often used as symbols of beauty and strength.
But did you know that there are actually different types of giraffes? And some even grow taller than others!
The average adult male giraffe stands around 16–20 ft tall, while females tend to be shorter. A full-grown giraffe can weigh up to 2200 lbs.
If you were visualizing the smallest giraffes at 15 ft in height, you would still need six and a half of them stacked together to reach 100ft tall.
So how do giraffes manage to get so big?
Well, it’s because they eat leaves and branches high above the ground. This allows them to stretch out their necks and see over long distances.
18 Adults
The average height of an adult male is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, while the average female is about 5 feet 4 inches tall.
If you laid out 18 adults in a row, foot-to-head, you would create a very long human chain.
In fact, it would measure just over 100 feet, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
This assumes that everyone is the same size. But even if we assume that every individual is the average height, the length of the chain would still be 99 feet.
Half An Ice Hockey Rink
If you’ve never seen an ice hockey game, it might seem like an enormous space. But in reality, an ice hockey rink is actually quite small.
An ice hockey rink is 200 ft long by 85 ft wide. To give you some perspective, here are some things that measure about 100 ft:
- A swimming pool
- A basketball court
- A football field
- A baseball diamond (see also ‘How Wide Is Home Plate?‘)
- A tennis court
A Football Field
A standard football field measures about 102 by 67 meters. This makes it about 105 meters long.
A length of 105 meters is equal to about 340 feet. A good way of visualizing 100 feet.
7 Standard Cars
Cars (see also ‘How Big Is A Traffic Light?‘) come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s one thing that every type of vehicle shares — and it’s the same size no matter what model you buy.
In fact, the average length of a car is 14 feet, according to CarMax.com.
If seven cars are lined up side by side, the total length would be about 98 feet, which is pretty close to 100 feet.
This means that if seven cars were parked end to end, they’d reach almost exactly halfway across the parking lot.
In Summary
So there you have it, there are many ways to visualize 100 feet but it’s been helpful.
What Size Is It started because of that passion, but I have also chosen to write about other size, weight, and value related topics that have interested me.
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