The main Titanic size facts
- Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches long overall, or about 269.1 metres.
- Its registered breadth was 92 feet 6 inches, or about 28.2 metres.
- 46,329 gross register tons describes enclosed volume; it is not Titanic’s weight.
- At a cited load draft of about 34 feet 7 inches, Titanic displaced about 52,310 long tons of water, which is the better answer to “How much did Titanic weigh?”
- Titanic was the largest ship afloat when it entered service, but its sister Olympic was extremely close in size.
Titanic dimensions explained
A large ship can have several correct numbers for what sounds like the same question. This table separates the main measurements.
| Measurement | Titanic figure | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Length overall | 882 ft 9 in (269.1 m) | The full physical length from the extreme bow to the extreme stern. |
| Registered length | 852.5 ft | A formal registry measurement, which is why some historical records show a shorter “length.” |
| Breadth | 92 ft 6 in (28.2 m) | The ship’s registered width or beam. |
| Registered depth | 59.6 ft in the RMG registry summary | A registry depth measurement, not the full height from keel to funnel tops. |
| Load draft | About 34 ft 7 in | How deeply the loaded ship sat in the water at the cited condition. |
| Gross register tonnage | 46,329 GRT | Enclosed volume under the historical registration rules; it is not weight. |
| Load displacement | About 52,310 long tons | The weight of the water displaced, which equals the ship’s actual weight at that loading condition. |
The British inquiry evidence associated a displacement of about 52,310 tons with a draft of 34 feet 7 inches. Gross register tonnage describes internal volume instead.
Titanic size at a glance
These are the measurements most people mean when they ask how big Titanic was. Ship measurements can describe length, width, height, draft, enclosed volume or actual displacement, so the terms are kept separate.
Length overall
269.1 metres from bow to stern.
Breadth
28.2 metres across the widest registered beam.
Load draft
About 10.5 metres of the hull below the waterline at the cited load condition.
Keel to bridge
Original design figure from the keel to the navigating bridge.
Keel to funnel tops
The widely quoted overall vertical figure; funnel-height research explains why exact measurements need care.
Gross tonnage
A measure of enclosed internal volume, not the ship’s weight.
Load displacement
The approximate actual weight at a load draft of 34 ft 7 in.
Listed maximum capacity
2,435 passengers plus about 885 crew in the Royal Museums Greenwich figures.
Historical sources sometimes use slightly different registered figures or count decks differently. The measurements above identify what is being measured rather than treating every “ton” or “height” as the same thing.
How long was the Titanic?
Titanic measured 882 feet 9 inches overall, equal to about 269.1 metres. That is the bow-to-stern figure most people are looking for when they ask how long the ship was. Registration records also show a shorter registered length of 852.5 feet because the legal measurement did not use the extreme ends of the hull in the same way.
For a simple modern comparison, 882 feet 9 inches is about 2.45 American football fields laid end to end when the 360-foot field including both end zones is used. The comparison is only a visual aid, but it helps explain why Titanic’s departure attracted so much attention in 1912.
How wide was Titanic?
Titanic’s registered breadth was 92 feet 6 inches, or about 28.2 metres. Width mattered for stability, interior space and the enormous machinery and boiler rooms carried inside the hull.
The ship was not simply a long narrow tube. Its breadth allowed broad public rooms, promenades, cabins, dining spaces, cargo areas and working spaces to be arranged across several deck levels. That scale becomes clearer in the cabin and interior guides, where the same hull contained very different first-, second- and third-class environments.
How tall was Titanic?
“How tall was Titanic?” has more than one reasonable answer because ships do not have one universal height measurement. The original Olympic-class design material gives 104 feet from the keel to the navigating bridge. Contemporary descriptions commonly put the distance from keel to the tops of the funnels at about 175 feet.
The 175-foot figure helps with visual scale, but it should not be confused with registered depth, deck height or freeboard. Specialist funnel research also notes that no surviving primary plan simply labels one exact “overall height” for all four funnel tops. That is why this page gives the measurement and what it represents instead of presenting one number as though every source meant the same thing.
How much did the Titanic weigh?
A common mistake is to answer this question with Titanic’s gross register tonnage of 46,329. Gross register tonnage measured enclosed internal volume, with a register ton representing 100 cubic feet. It was not a scale reading and did not mean the ship weighed 46,329 tons.
Displacement is the better measure of actual weight. Evidence associated with the British inquiry gives Titanic a displacement of about 52,310 long tons at a load draft of 34 feet 7 inches. A floating ship displaces a weight of water equal to its own weight, so displacement gives the clearest historical answer when someone asks how much Titanic weighed while loaded.
How much of Titanic was below the waterline?
The cited load draft was about 34 feet 7 inches, roughly 10.5 metres. Draft measures the vertical distance from the waterline down to the bottom of the hull. It changes with loading, so it should not be treated as a fixed architectural height in every condition.
The draft is important to the sinking story because the collision damage occurred along the starboard side below and near the waterline. Once flooding spread through more forward compartments than the watertight subdivision could tolerate, the bow settled deeper and water eventually passed over the tops of successive bulkheads.
Was Titanic the largest ship in the world?
Yes. Titanic was the largest ship afloat when it entered service in April 1912, although the margin over its older sister Olympic was small. The two ships shared the same basic Olympic-class design and almost the same principal dimensions.
“Largest” also needs context. A ship can be compared by overall length, gross tonnage, displacement, passenger capacity or another measure. Titanic’s fame has sometimes turned those separate measurements into one vague claim. The more accurate point is that Titanic and Olympic represented the top end of very large passenger-liner construction at the time.
How big was Titanic compared with modern cruise ships?
Titanic was enormous by 1912 standards, but many modern cruise ships are longer, wider and several times larger by modern gross-tonnage measurements. Titanic’s 882-foot length remains impressive, yet today’s largest passenger ships can exceed 1,000 feet and carry far more people.
That comparison should not make Titanic seem small. In its own period, the ship’s scale was extraordinary. Its machinery, coal consumption, crew, hotel spaces, mail operation and three passenger classes all had to function inside a vessel whose dimensions pushed the practical limits of contemporary ports and shipbuilding infrastructure.
How many decks did Titanic have?
Sources can appear to disagree because they count decks in different ways. Royal Museums Greenwich describes ten deck levels in its public Titanic facts, while registry-oriented records can describe five full decks and two partial decks. Contemporary technical descriptions also distinguish steel decks that did not all extend through the same parts of the ship.
For visitors trying to picture the ship, “ten deck levels” is a practical summary. For technical work, it is better to name the specific deck and explain the counting system. The cabins and interiors page follows the actual spaces rather than relying on one deck total.
Titanic’s size affected the voyage before the disaster began
Titanic’s scale was already evident while leaving Southampton. The movement of the huge liner contributed to the nearby SS New York breaking its moorings and swinging toward Titanic. Tugs and quick ship handling prevented a collision, delaying the departure before Titanic continued to Cherbourg.
That incident is a good reminder that size was not just a statistic. Titanic needed deep water, large berths, tenders at ports where it could not conveniently dock, extensive coal supplies and a large crew. The new maiden-voyage guide follows those practical details through the ship’s only voyage.
Sources for Titanic’s size and dimensions
The measurements below are drawn from museum fact files, specialist technical research and evidence connected with the British inquiry.
- Royal Museums Greenwich: RMS Titanic fact sheet Length, breadth, registered depth, tonnage, machinery, speed, capacity and lifeboat figures.
- Titanic Belfast: Titanic Fact File Harland and Wolff yard details, registration, dimensions, decks, machinery and handover date.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: maritime terminology in 1912 Explains gross register tonnage, net tonnage and the 52,310-ton load displacement.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Olympic and Titanic hull dimensions Contemporary technical dimensions including 104 feet from keel to navigating bridge.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Titanic overview and dimensions Specialist summary of length, breadth, draft, displacement, height and deck figures.
- TitanicSurvivors.com sources and research guide How this site handles conflicting measurements and historical terminology.
Continue exploring the Titanic ship
Frequently asked questions
How big was the Titanic?
Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches long and 92 feet 6 inches wide. It displaced about 52,310 long tons at a load draft of about 34 feet 7 inches.
How long was Titanic in feet and metres?
Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches long overall, equal to about 269.1 metres.
How tall was Titanic?
The original design figure from keel to navigating bridge was 104 feet. An often-quoted overall figure from keel to the funnel tops is about 175 feet.
How much did Titanic weigh?
The best historical weight figure is about 52,310 long tons of displacement at a load draft of about 34 feet 7 inches. The better-known 46,329 GRT figure measured enclosed volume, not weight.
How wide was Titanic?
Titanic’s registered breadth was 92 feet 6 inches, or about 28.2 metres.
How many decks did Titanic have?
Ten deck levels is a common public description, but registry and technical sources can count full and partial decks differently.
Was Titanic the largest ship in the world?
Titanic was the largest ship afloat when it entered service in April 1912, although its older sister Olympic was very close in size.
Was Titanic bigger than modern cruise ships?
No. Many modern cruise ships are longer, wider and much larger by gross-tonnage and passenger-capacity measures, although Titanic was exceptionally large for 1912.