Facts about Niagara Falls and its History

One of the coolest facts about Niagara Falls is it is considered to be one of the world’s natural wonder and stopped flowing twice in its history. Learn other interesting facts on Niagara Falls.

Each year, as many as 11 million people visit Niagara Falls. If you plan to be one of them in the coming year, it only makes sense to check out a quick fact file of Niagara Falls and educate yourselves about this fabulous wonder.

Here are several facts that will interest you about Niagara Falls:

The Niagara Falls consists of two cities, Niagara Falls NY and Niagara Falls Ontario and they are both famous for hosting one of the seven wonders of the world, the Niagara Falls.
So, just where is Niagara Falls? The Falls are situated on the international border separating New York from the Canadian province of Ontario. Niagara Falls is located 23 miles northwest of Buffalo, New York and 79 miles southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between twin cities both named Niagara Falls (one in Ontario, Canada and one in New York state).
These massive falls were formed as a result of glaciers that began to recede toward the end of the Wisconsin glacier period and water that came from the Great Lakes, which were newly formed at the time. This established a path directly through the Niagara Escarpment on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
An interesting Niagara Falls fact is that many people ask “How tall is Niagara Falls?” In reality, the Falls are not actually that high, but they are extremely wide. The height of the Falls is 176 feet, while the width is 1,060 feet, making Niagara Falls one of the most powerful waterfalls on the North American continent. The American Falls are 182 feet high and the Horseshoe Falls 176 feet high.
Does Niagara Falls freeze? The volume of water that makes up the Falls is quite tremendous and never actually stops flowing.
Even so, the mist and falling water create fabulous ice formations on the river banks. As a result, mounds of ice can develop up to fifty feet thick. If the weather is cold for long enough, the ice can extend across the river and form an ice bridge. Surprisingly, the ice bridge can stretch for several miles along the river, all the way to the lower rapids.
Niagara Falls is 12,000 years old.
Niagara Falls history notes that the word “Niagara” is from the Iroquois Indians word “Onguiaahra” which means the strait.
Niagara Falls consists of three Falls. On the left – The American Falls between Prospect Place and Luna Island; The Bridal Falls between Luna Island and Goat Island; The Canadian Falls between Goat Island and Tablerock.
Niagara river is 35 miles long and drains lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
Other facts about Niagara Falls is that it was originally located seven miles (eleven km.) downstream from its current location.
The worlds first large scale hydroelectric dam was built at the Niagara Power’s American Falls in 1895.
As much as 5 billion gallons of water goes over the Falls, 50% of which is diverted and used to provide power to the United States and Canada making it the largest electric power source in the world.
Imagine Niagara Falls dry? In fact the Falls became dry twice : In March 1848 due to an ice jam and in 1969 to potentially remove large rocks from the bottom to enhance its appearance. But the project was abandoned due to the expense.

Water flow at the American Falls is weaker than the Horseshoe Falls because the presence of Goat island.
Several movies such as “Niagara” with Marilyn Monroe, “Superman”, Pirates of The Caribbean were filmed in part at Niagara Falls.
Although the legend is starting to slip, people still think of Niagara Falls as a honeymoon destination.
Niagara Falls is the major electricity producer in New York state.
The General Brock Hotel now known as the Crowne Plaza Hotel Niagara Falls was one of the first luxurious hotels in Niagara Falls.
The night time illumination of the Falls is actually designed to divert attention to the low water flow (water level is lowest at night). This water diversion has virtually halted the erosion of the rock behind the Falls, which if not for the hydro dams, would be measured in feet per year instead of inches, putting the actual location of the Falls many feet further up river then they are now.
The only two people to have survived the falls unaided were the boy Roger Woodward in 1960 and a Michigan man in 2003.