This is a list of the tallest dams in the United States. The main list includes all U.S. dams over 300feet tall, and a second list gives the tallest dams in each state. Dimensions given are for foundation height, not hydraulic height or head. Structures such as levees, dikes and tailings dams are not included in the lists. Decommissioned or failed dams, such as Teton Dam in Idaho, are included. Both lists are works in progress and will be updated periodically with new information. There are currently 75 entries on the main list.
Most of the U.S.'s taller dams are located in the west because of the steeper and more rugged topography. The tallest is Oroville Dam in northern California, a 770.5feet embankment dam completed in 1968. Five of the ten tallest dams in the U.S. are located in California. The Colorado, Columbia and Sacramento–San Joaquin river systems contain the greatest number of tall dams. In the eastern U.S., tall dams are less common because of the lesser vertical relief. The tallest dam in the eastern U.S. is 480feet Fontana Dam in North Carolina, which ranks 20th in height among all U.S. dams.