What is the length of the Colosseum?

The length of the Colosseum is 189 meters.

This measurement refers to the amphitheatre’s long axis, because the building has an elliptical plan rather than a simple rectangular footprint. Across its shorter axis, it measures about 156 meters. In imperial Roman units, the long dimension was approximately 640 Roman feet.

The 189-meter figure describes the outer structure, not the arena floor. The central arena was much smaller, measuring about 83 meters by 48 meters. Surrounding it were the seating tiers, corridors, service areas, and the massive exterior wall.

A frequent quiz mistake is confusing the building’s length with its perimeter, which was roughly 545 meters. Another is using the arena’s 83-meter length. The larger figure is the standard architectural measurement for the Colosseum as a whole.