7 Things That Are About 400 Meters (m) Long

In the measurement of items using the meter metric unit, many tend to get confused especially once larger numbers start getting in the way. 400 meters is the equivalent of 1312.34 ft, 0.4 kilometers, 40000 centimeters.

Have you been in search of items that are this long? Reading this piece should give you an idea of exactly how much 400 Meters should be and help you make more fascinating discoveries. Let’s dive right in!

1. Standard Track Field

Track and field events are one of the greatest forms of recreation which have been in place for several decades. Our interest here is in track events that mostly involve competing across the tracks. Popular ones amongst them include 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m relay races and hurdles. The first sprinter to beat the finish line wins the race.

Our concern in this piece is the track on which these events are held. The highest length of races usually run on a standard track is the 400m relay. Hence, a standard track like the one used in the Olympics is usually 400 meters long. Bigger events like marathons are held on major roads!

2. Esso Atlantic Ship

As the largest ship built in Japan to date, the 508,731-dwt Esso Atlantic became the largest ship delivered in 1977 to Esso Tankers, Inc. of Liberia at Hitachi Zosen’s Ariake Shipyard. Aside from being Japan’s largest ship, she is the third-largest in the world after two 550,000-DWT ULCC sister ships built in France.

The Esso Atlantic is impressively large. She is about 6 meters shorter than the Empire State Building because her length is approximately 400 meters. With a capacity of 611,200 cubic meters, she can meet Japan’s oil needs for a half day. Her propeller is as high as a three-story building. Definitely a classic build from Japan back in the day.

3. South Dakota Tower

KDLT tower is a guy-wired aerial mast for transmitting TV programs in Rowena, South Dakota, United States. Gray Media Group, Inc. owns the KDLT tower, which was completed in 1998. It is one of the world’s longest buildings. 

However, the light at the top of the tower (for aircraft) still needs to be replaced when it malfunctions. Season 1 of World’s Toughest Fixes featured a segment on the replacement of the antenna on this tower. A video of an amateur drone operator changing a light bulb went viral in 2015, attracting over 17 million hits on YouTube and earning CNN and a newspaper in Britain’s attention. The South Dakota Tower has a length of 400 meters from the ground.

4. Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, is a wrought-iron tower. Designed and built by Gustave Eiffel’s company, the tower is named after the engineer. It is nicknamed “La dame de fer” (French for “Iron Lady”) and was constructed for the 1889 World’s Fair. It has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. 

In 2015, there were 6.91 million visitors to the Eiffel Tower, the most visited monument worldwide. The Tower was designated a Monument Historique in 1964 and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as “Paris, Banks of Seine” in 1991. It’s 400 meters long and about the same height as an 81-story building, making it the longest building in Paris.

5. Half of the Navy Pier

A public opening of the Navy Pier took place on July 15, 1916. Originally known as the Municipal Pier, the pier was designed by nationally renowned architect Charles Sumner Frost based on Daniel Burnham’s and Edward H. Bennett’s Plan of Chicago from 1909. In the beginning, it served as a dock for freights, passengers, and events like expositions and pageants.

Around 10,000 people worked, trained, and lived at the pier during World War II. Pier facilities included a 2,500-seat theater, gym, barbershop, tailor, cobbler shop, soda fountain, vast kitchen, and hospital. 

Based on the specifications above, a navy pier is usually at least 800 meters long. Hence, half of a pair is exactly 400 meters.

6. Empire State Building

New York City’s Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built between 1930 and 1931. “Empire State”, the nickname for the state of New York, inspired its name. 

Midtown South has been home to the Empire State Building since 1893 when the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was constructed on the west side of Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets. The site was acquired by Empire State Inc. in 1929, and plans were developed for a skyscraper there. The Empire State Building was redesigned fifteen times until it became the world’s longest building at 400 meters.

7. Indosiar Television Tower

Indosiar Television Tower is a 400m guyed mast that broadcasts FM and TV in West Jakarta, Indonesia. The tower was completed in 2006. It is currently Indonesia’s longest structure. The antenna consists of a 375-meter long lattice structure whose side lengths are 15 m, topped by a 20 meter high TV antenna. 

Around the mast are two triangular lattice steel structures with side lengths of 114 m (346 ft) and 120 m (390 ft), which are glued to the upper parts of the mast. The tower was given this special shape due to the lack of space available on the site. Both SCTV and Indosiar, which broadcast locally, are owned by Surya Citra Media, a subsidiary of Elang Mahkota Teknologi.