Its stone body rises 166 feet, about the height of the Arc de Triomphe, topped with three gilded figures that take it to 250. Planned by the Interior Department under President Trump to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, it would sit on Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the final plans 8 to 4 on the night of Nov. 5. Less than two hours later, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan barred construction for 14 days while lawsuits by Virginia, the District of Columbia and a group of Vietnam veterans go forward. This page shows the design the commission approved.
Lay a landmark over the arch. One scale, one ground line.
Lincoln Memorial, 99 ft
The whole memorial, measured from the ground at the foot of its terrace walls, would reach 67 ft short of the arch’s stone top. The gold central figure alone, 60 ft, is more than three times the seated Lincoln statue inside, 19 ft.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the final plans 8 to 4 on the night of Nov. 5. Less than two hours later, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan barred construction for 14 days while lawsuits by Virginia, the District of Columbia and a group of Vietnam veterans go forward. This page shows the design the commission approved.
Every outline uses one scale and stands on one ground line. Heights and overall widths come from the sources listed. Some parts are drawn by eye: the height of the arch’s opening, the recessed top level and statue plinth between the stone top at 166 feet and the figures, the shapes of the figures, the Statue of Liberty’s width, and the details inside each outline.
The arch’s sizes come from the federal planning record. The commission’s Nov. 5 staff report gives 166 feet for the arch structure and 250 feet overall, with a 60-foot central figure. The Interior Department’s July 2026 submission gives a width of 166 feet and a 55-foot-wide opening, places the two eagles above the arch’s legs, and calls its dimensions approximate. Width comparisons use the 166-foot body; the cornice at the top reaches 183 feet 4 inches.
Each height is measured from the ground at its site. The Lincoln Memorial’s 99 feet is from the ground at the foot of its terrace walls; the building alone is 79 feet 10 inches above the top of its foundation. The Washington Monument uses the Park Service’s historic height, 555 feet 5 1/8 inches. The Statue of Liberty is measured from the ground to the tip of the torch.
The judge’s order lasts 14 days. The design could still change in court or in later reviews. The story was picked from the day’s most-covered news across outlets.
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