22 Common Things That Are 400 Feet Big: Visualizing 400 Feet

What are things that are 400 feet big? It’s the height of a 40-story building or the length of 11 school buses in a row. A submarine and a cruise ship are also this big.

The most interesting part is that there are a lot of items that help us visualize how big 400 feet is. Here, I’m discussing 22 things that we see every day.

That’s not all. I’m also comparing 400 feet with humans as well. Keep reading!

Table of Contents

Key Points

400 feet equals the height of a 40-story building.
You’d need 11 school buses to line up to cover this distance.
A cruise ship or a large yacht is this length.
Two NHL hockey rinks end-to-end make 400 ft.
A military aircraft carrier can have a 400-foot-long flight deck.
Walking across 1.5 New York City blocks is like covering 400 feet.

22 Things That Are 400 Feet Big: How long is 400 feet visually?

400 feet is about the length of a 40-story building, or roughly the size of a football field (with a little extra added on). You can also think of it as about 11 school buses lined up one after the other. It’s a big distance, no matter how you look at it!

Let’s look at 22 things that are 400 feet long to help us visualize how big this length is:

Two NHL Hockey Rinks

Keep in mind that an NHL hockey rink is 200 feet long. Now, imagine two of those rinks laid end to end—that’s 400 feet. Pretty big, right?

So, now carefully see how long it takes players to skate from one end to the other. And if you’ve ever been inside a hockey rink, you know it’s already a pretty big space.

Two rinks together would cover a massive area. Imagine standing at one end, looking all the way to the other side – it would feel super far away. This is a great way to picture 400 feet because we’ve all seen or heard of hockey rinks, so it’s easy to relate to.

The Shambles in York, England

The Shambles in York, England, is a super old street that’s 400 feet (120 meters) long. It’s been around since medieval times, and it feels like you’re stepping back in time when you walk here. The path is narrow, made of cobblestones, and has old timber buildings on both sides.

These buildings lean toward each other at the top, making the street feel cozy and special.

A long time ago, The Shambles was where butchers worked. The overhanging buildings helped keep the meat cool and shaded. If you look closely, you can still spot hooks and shelves on some walls where they used to hang meat.

It’s cool to think about how this little street used to be part of everyday life hundreds of years ago.

Walking the full 400 feet of The Shambles is like going on a little time-travel adventure. The crooked buildings and old-fashioned look make it one of the most loved streets in York.

Eight Step-Deck Trailers

A step-deck trailer is one of those long, flatbed trucks you see on the highway. It carries big loads like machinery or construction materials. Each one is about 48 to 53 feet long. So, to reach 400 feet, you’d need around eight of them lined up back-to-back.

Step-deck trailer trucks are huge when you see them on the road. Now, picture eight of them connected in a straight line. That’s 400 feet.

If you stood at the front of the first trailer and walked to the end of the eighth trailer, it would take you a while. It really shows just how long 400 feet can be.

40-Story Skyscraper

A 40-story skyscraper is a perfect example of something that’s 400 feet tall. In most tall buildings, each floor is about 10 feet high. So, if you stack up 40 floors, you get 400 feet.

Think about standing at the bottom of a 40-story building and looking up. The top feels like it’s way up in the clouds! It’s hard to even see all the way to the top without tilting your head way back.

In big cities, these skyscrapers are everywhere, and they look impressive. But 400 feet is still pretty tall, even compared to much bigger buildings.

If you’ve ever been to a big city and seen one of these tall buildings, you’ve probably gotten a sense of just how high 400 feet is.

11 School Buses

Most school buses are about 35 feet long. Now, imagine lining up 11 of them, one after the other. That’s roughly 400 feet!

You’ve probably seen buses lined up in front of a school, right? Maybe three or four in a row. Now, picture 11 of them connected in a straight line. That’s how far 400 feet is.

23 Minivans

Minivans are about 17 feet long, so if you line up 23 of them bumper-to-bumper, you’ll get around 400 feet. We’ve all seen minivans parked in a row at a shopping mall or a school parking lot. But 23 of them in a row would take up a lot of space.

One and a Half Goodyear Blimps

The Goodyear blimp is about 246 feet long. If you stack one and a half of them together, you get close to 400 feet.

Blimps are these massive airships you’ve probably seen flying over sports events or parades. They’re big, but they don’t seem too enormous when they’re floating up in the sky. However, if you were to see a blimp on the ground, you’d realize how huge it really is.

Seeing a blimp in real life would give you a good idea of how long 400 feet can stretch.

Two Space Shuttles

Space shuttles are about 184 feet long. So, if you take two space shuttles and line them up end-to-end, you’ll almost get to 400 feet.

We all know that space shuttles are massive. They have to be, since they’re built to carry astronauts and equipment all the way into space. If you’ve ever seen a space shuttle on TV or in a museum, you know how big they are.

Now, picture two of these space shuttles connected in a straight line. That’s close to 400 feet. It’s an easy way to imagine the size of 400 feet by thinking of something as iconic as a space shuttle.

A Submarine

Some submarines, especially military ones, are around 400 feet long. These are the types of submarines that stay underwater for long periods, carrying lots of equipment and crew.

One of the most notable military submarines that was around 400 feet long was the I-400-class submarine. The I-400 and its sister ships, I-401 and I-402, were the largest submarines built at the time. Each of them is 400 feet in length.

If you ever see a submarine docked in a harbor, you’ll be able to grasp how long 400 feet is. It’s hard to picture unless you see one in person. But knowing that many submarines are this long helps you understand the sheer size.

Cruise Ship

Some cruise ships can stretch around 400 feet or even longer. If you’ve ever seen a cruise ship in person, you know how massive they are.

Stand at one end of a cruise ship and walk all the way to the other. It would take you quite a bit of time to cover the 400-foot length.

These ships need to be this big because they carry thousands of passengers, along with restaurants, swimming pools, theaters, and more.

So, the next time you see a picture or video of a cruise ship, just think about how long 400 feet of it is. It’s almost like walking across a big chunk of a city!

The Bank of America Building – Albany, New York

The Bank of America Building in Albany, New York, is a great example of a 400-foot-tall building. It has 32 stories and stands as one of the tallest buildings in the city. If you stood at the bottom of this building and looked straight up, the top would seem really far away.

Skyscrapers like this are common in big cities, and the Bank of America Building reaches the exact height of 400 feet.

A Big Yacht

Yachts are known for their luxury, but some of the bigger ones are also incredibly long. Some large yachts can stretch up to 400 feet in length. A yacht this big has:

Multiple decks
Swimming pools
Fancy dining rooms
Even guest suites.

If you’ve ever seen one of these yachts docked in a marina, you might have noticed how big they are.

So, check out a large yacht and just picture how long 400 feet is. You’ll understand why these vessels are so impressive.

Two Neck Canals

A standard neck canal can measure around 200 feet wide. So, to match 400 feet, you’d imagine placing two of them side by side. These canals are pretty large to begin with, and doubling their width gives you a real sense of scale.

If you’re curious about other measurements, take a look at simple things that are 50 feet tall or long to see how they compare to the massive 400-foot length.

16 African Elephants

Note that an adult African elephant can reach up to 25 feet long. If you line up 16 of these elephants from trunk to tail, you’d get a total of about 400 feet.

Elephants are enormous creatures, and seeing just one in real life can make you feel tiny. But now imagine seeing 16 of them lined up. Interesting, right?

Walking alongside this line of elephants would take you a good while, showing just how long 400 feet really is.

Next time you see a picture of an elephant, or better yet, if you see one at the zoo, try to imagine 15 more lined up with it.

1.5 New York City Blocks

In Manhattan, a typical city block is about 264 feet long. So, if you take one and a half blocks, you get around 400 feet.

New York City blocks are a familiar sight if you’ve ever walked around the city. They feel long when you’re walking from one end to the other, especially if you’re in a hurry. Walk one and a half of those blocks, and you’ve covered about 400 feet.

60 Standard Doors

Remember that a standard door is about 6.8 feet tall. If you place 60 doors one on top of the other, you’d get roughly 400 feet in total height.

This is a fun way to think about 400 feet because we all know what a door looks like. Seeing so many of them stacked together gives you a unique way to picture that length.

Four Standard Semi-Trailer Trucks

A semi-trailer truck, like the ones you see hauling goods on the highway, is about 70 to 80 feet long. So, to reach 400 feet, you’d need about four of these trucks lined up one after the other.

Semi-trucks are hard to miss when you’re driving on the highway. They’re huge and take up a lot of space. If you see four of them lined up, you’ll quickly understand how much space 400 feet really is.

7 Subway Cars

Subway cars are usually around 60 feet long each. So, seven subway cars lined up end to end would give you about 400 feet.

Subway cars are designed to fit a lot of people inside, and having seven of them in a row is quite a sight. It’s a good way to visualize the length of 400 feet, especially if you’ve ever waited for a train at a station.

Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco – 400 Feet Tall

The Four Seasons Hotel is a great example of a building that stands around 400 feet tall. It has 40 floors and is one of the tallest buildings in the city.

When you stand at the bottom of a building like this and look up, the height can seem pretty impressive. Imagine how far 400 feet feel when you’re inside the building, riding the elevator from the ground floor to the 40th floor.

In fact, from the top floors, you can see a lot of San Francisco!

So, when you’re thinking about how tall 400 feet is, picture a tall building like this one, and you’ll get a good sense of just how far that height stretches.

10 Bowling Lanes

A bowling lane is about 40 feet long. So, if you line up 10 bowling lanes, you’d get around 400 feet. The good thing is most of us have been to a bowling alley, and we know what a single lane looks like. It’s pretty long already, but now imagine 10 of those lanes stretched out in a straight line.

Walking from one end of those 10 lanes to the other would give you a good workout. This is an easy way to picture how long 400 feet really is.

A Military Ship

Many military ships, like aircraft carriers, are huge. Their flight decks can reach around 400 feet in length (or sometimes even longer). Note that aircraft carriers are designed to launch and land planes, so they need a lot of space.

If you’ve ever seen pictures of a military ship, you’ve probably noticed how massive they are. Now, picture standing at one end of a 400-foot-long ship and looking all the way to the other end. That’s a lot of ground to cover, even on water! This gives you a clear idea of how long 400 feet is.

A Standard Football Field (with End Zones)

A football field is about 360 feet long. If you add some extra yardage, you get close to 400 feet. Most of us have seen a football field, whether on TV or in person. You can imagine how long it is when you’re standing at one end and looking at the other.

Now, picture adding a little more distance beyond the end zones of a football field. That gives you the full 400 feet.

Next time you’re watching a game, think about how long the players have to run from one end to the other—it’s a lot of ground to cover!

Yankee Stadium (New York)

At Yankee Stadium, the distance from home plate to the center field wall is about 400 feet. That’s a lot of space for a baseball to travel.

Baseball stadiums are designed to be big. And when you hear that it’s 400 feet from home plate to center field, it helps you understand just how big. It’s an impressive distance and a great way to picture 400 feet.

While 400 feet is huge, it’s interesting to look at things that are just 8 inches long. Understand how drastically sizes can differ.

What is 400 Feet? (The Details)

In simple terms, 400 feet is a little more than the length of a football field. It is roughly the length of:

1.5 New York City blocks
Two NHL hockey rinks
11 standard school buses lined up.

It’s also about the height of a 40-story building.

400 Feet in Other Units

Here’s how long or tall 400 feet is in other units:

In meters: 400 feet equals about 122 meters.
In yards: 400 feet is about 133 yards (since there are 3 feet in a yard).
In inches: 400 feet equals 4,800 inches (since each foot has 12 inches).

By comparing it to things we see every day, 400 feet starts to make more sense.

How Tall is 400 Feet in Stories?

If you’re wondering how tall 400 feet in stories, it’s about 40 stories high. Each floor of a typical building is around 10 feet tall, so if you stack 40 floors together, you’ll get close to 400 feet.

Picture standing at the bottom of a tall building and looking up. A 40-story skyscraper is quite tall! It’s high enough that from the top floors, you’d get a great view of the surrounding city.

Buildings that reach 400 feet are:

Hotels
Office towers
Apartment buildings.
Bank of America Building.

400 Feet Compared to Human

To understand how big 400 feet is, let’s compare it to people. Most people are around 5.5 to 6 feet tall. If you lined them up head to toe, it would take about 66 to 70 people to cover 400 feet.

This shows how big 400 feet really is when you compare it to something as simple as a person’s height.

What Does a Drone See from 400 Feet?

When a drone flies at 400 feet, it gives you a wide view of everything below. From this height, you can see big areas like:

Neighborhoods
Parks
Rivers
Sports fields.

People and cars look tiny from 400 feet away, but you can still see them moving around. However, the quality of the drone’s camera matters. Better cameras will give clearer pictures, even from this height.

The coolest part? You get amazing panoramic views. The drone can see far into the distance, so you can capture big city skylines or wide landscapes in one shot. Large buildings, like skyscrapers or stadiums, fit into the view nicely.

So, when a drone is flying at 400 feet, it gives you a full, bird’s-eye view of the world below. Here’s the video:

How Far is 400 Feet in Blocks?

In cities like New York, a standard city block is about 264 feet long. So, if you’re measuring 400 feet, it’s roughly one and a half city blocks. Imagine walking down your street and passing one full block, then going a little further to cover the extra distance.

It’s not far at all, but it’s just enough to notice.

400 feet is impressive, but you might also be curious about common things that are 80 feet long. See how they measure up next to 400 feet.

How Far is 400 Feet in Minutes?

If you’re walking at a normal pace, it takes about 1 to 1.5 minutes to walk 400 feet. Most people walk around 3 to 4 feet every second, so it doesn’t take long at all to reach 400 feet.

You’ll get there in about a minute, which is as quick as walking across a small parking lot. It’s a short walk, even if you’re taking your time.

How Far is 400 Feet in Walking?

Walking 400 feet isn’t very far. It’s about 150 steps for most people. That’s like walking across a football field, including the end zones. It’s a distance you can cover in just over a minute without even thinking about it.

In fact, it’s the kind of distance you walk in everyday life—whether you’re walking across the grocery store or down your driveway.

In short, 400 feet is an easy and quick walk for just about anyone.

Conclusion

To sum up, 400 feet is a huge measurement. Here are key takeaways

400 feet is the height of a 40-story building.
It’s the length of 11 school buses or 10 bowling lanes.
A cruise ship or a military ship can reach about 400 ft.
A football field with end zones almost covers this distance.
Yankee Stadium’s home plate to center field is about 400 feet.

That’s all. Now that you know how long 400 feet is, you can easily spot it in the world around you.