Overview
The Dead Sea stretches approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) from north to south and spans up to 15 kilometers (9 miles) at its widest east-west point. Its current surface area covers roughly 605 square kilometers, though this figure decreases each year as water levels continue to drop. At its deepest point in the northern basin, the Dead Sea reaches 304 meters (997 feet), making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.
The Dead Sea stretches approximately 50 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width, with a surface area that has contracted from roughly 950 square kilometers in 1930 to approximately 605 square kilometers today, a loss of more than one-third of its historical size within a single century.
Two Basins, Two Stories
The Dead Sea is divided into a deep northern basin and a shallow southern basin by the Lisan Peninsula (also called the Lynch Strait). The northern basin holds the primary body of water, reaching the maximum depth of 304 meters. This is where most visitors swim and float.
The southern basin tells a different story. Once part of the continuous lake, it largely dried up during the 20th century as water levels fell. Today, industrial evaporation ponds operated by Dead Sea Works (Israel) and the Arab Potash Company (Jordan) occupy much of the former southern basin. These operations extract potash, magnesium, and other minerals from the brine.
How the Dead Sea Compares
For context, the Dead Sea is roughly three to four times larger than the Sea of Galilee (166 square km) in surface area, and significantly deeper. Compared to the Great Salt Lake in Utah (approximately 4,400 square km but only 10 meters deep), the Dead Sea is much smaller in area but far deeper and more saline. The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest landlocked body of water, covers approximately 371,000 square km, roughly 600 times the Dead Sea’s current area.
At 304 meters of maximum depth, the Dead Sea is the deepest hypersaline lake on Earth, with its deepest floor point sitting approximately 730 meters below sea level when combining the lake's surface elevation of 430 meters below sea level with the 304 meter water depth.
The Shrinking Shoreline
The Dead Sea has lost more than one-third of its surface area since 1930. Annual water level decline of approximately 1 meter means the shoreline retreats visibly from year to year. Hotels that were built at the waterfront in the 1980s now sit hundreds of meters from the water’s edge. Sinkholes, caused by dissolving underground salt layers as groundwater shifts, have become a significant hazard along the receding western shoreline.
The primary cause is diversion of the Jordan River. Approximately 90% of the river’s historical flow is now consumed by Israel, Jordan, and Syria for agriculture and municipal water supply. Without this inflow, the Dead Sea evaporates faster than it refills.
What This Means for Visitors
The Dead Sea’s dimensions are large enough to feel expansive when floating, but compact enough to see both shorelines. From Ein Bokek on the Israeli side, the Jordanian mountains appear close and sharply detailed across the water. The drive along the western shore from Ein Gedi to Ein Bokek covers only about 30 km but passes through some of the most dramatic desert terrain in the region.
FAQs
Is the Dead Sea the biggest lake in the Middle East?
No. The Dead Sea, at approximately 605 square kilometers, is smaller than Lake Van in Turkey (roughly 3,755 square km) and significantly smaller than the Caspian Sea. However, the Dead Sea is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world at 304 meters maximum depth.
How much has the Dead Sea shrunk?
The Dead Sea surface area has decreased from approximately 950 square km in 1930 to roughly 605 square km today, a reduction of more than one-third. The southern basin has largely dried up, and the northern basin continues to recede by approximately 1 meter of water level per year.
How deep is the Dead Sea?
The northern basin reaches a maximum depth of 304 meters (997 feet), making the Dead Sea the deepest hypersaline lake on Earth. The shallow southern basin, largely converted to industrial evaporation ponds, has a depth of less than 6 meters in most areas.
Can you see across the Dead Sea?
Yes. At approximately 15 km wide at its broadest point, both the Israeli and Jordanian shorelines are visible from opposite sides. On clear days, the mountains on each side appear in striking detail, particularly during morning and evening light.
