Fast Facts
| JUST THE FACTS | |
|---|---|
| Start of construction | 1817 in Rome, NY |
| Grand Opening of Erie Canal | 1825 |
| Opening of Champlain Canal | 1823 |
| Length, Albany to Buffalo (original Erie Canal) | 363 miles |
| Number of locks, 1825 | 83 |
| Number of locks, present day | 57 |
| Elevation change, Albany to Buffalo | 571 feet |
| Canal dimensions, 1825 Original Erie | 4 ft deep x 40 ft wide; locks 90 ft long |
| Canal dimensions, 1862 Enlarged Erie | 7 ft deep x 70 ft wide; lock 110 ft long |
| Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal | 12-23 ft deep x 120-200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long |
| Cost to build | $7,143,789 |
| Return on Investment | 10 years |
| Number of aqueducts to bypass rivers and streams | 18 |
| Travel time from Albany to Buffalo, 1825 | 5 days |
| Travel time from Albany to Buffalo by Stagecoach | 2 weeks |
| Rate of pay for a canal laborer, 1825 | 80 cents - $1 per day |
| Year “Low Bridge, Everybody Down ” published by Tin Pan Alley songwriter Thomas Allen | 1905 |
National Historic Landmark
The Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals were enlarged to their current dimensions between 1905 and 1918. The waterway is a National Historic Landmark.