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How much elevation did the Erie Canal need to overcome?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map showing the route of the Erie Canal across New York state, running from Buffalo on Lake Erie in the west through cities including Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, and ending at the Hudson River near Troy and Cohoes. The map also highlights nearby lakes, connecting canals, and major waterways in the region.
Erie Canal

To overcome the natural terrain between the Great Lakes and the Hudson River, the Erie Canal needed to move boats through more than 150 meters (500 feet) of elevation.1

To manage these changes in elevation, engineers constructed 83 stone locks along the length of the canal. These locks allowed vessels to navigate the varying topography, including significant barriers such as the 23-meter (75-foot) Niagara Escarpment, which required a specialized series of 10 locks at Lockport.1