Gulf of Mexico at a glance
- 1,583 maverage depth
- 1,285 mmedian depth
- 3,886 mmaximum depth
- 1.4 million km²water area
Gulf of Mexico is a gulf. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 1.4 million km² of water, with an average depth of about 1,583 m (the middle value is 1,285 m) and a maximum of 3,886 m, found at 26.81° N, 85.96° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Gulf of Mexico?
The bar splits the Gulf of Mexico's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 35.2%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 10.9%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 53.9%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Mississippi Canyon (417 km), Sigsbee Deep (653 km), Blake Plateau (822 km), Great Bahama Canyon (873 km).
The Gulf of Mexico if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Gulf of Mexico's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 60,749 km² | 4.3% |
| 20 m | 134,089 km² | 9.6% |
| 50 m | 313,187 km² | 22.4% |
| 80 m | 402,544 km² | 28.8% |
| 120 m | 445,862 km² | 31.9% |
| 200 m | 492,498 km² | 35.2% |
| 500 m | 565,521 km² | 40.4% |
| 1,000 m | 645,150 km² | 46.1% |
| 2,000 m | 813,692 km² | 58.1% |
| 3,000 m | 992,588 km² | 70.9% |
| 4,000 m | 1.4 million km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 1.4 million km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Bahía de Campeche average depth about 921 m
- Caribbean Sea average depth about 2,547 m
- Golfo de California average depth about 783 m
- Sargasso Sea average depth about 5,394 m
- Gulf of Saint Lawrence average depth about 163 m
- Hudson Bay average depth about 111 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Gulf of Mexico?
On average about 1,583 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 1,285 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 3,886 m, at 26.81° N, 85.96° W.
How big is the Gulf of Mexico?
About 1.4 million km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Gulf of Mexico would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 60,749 km² (4.3%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the gulf. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.