The Longest Mountain Ranges in the World

The great mountain chains, by length.

The world's great mountain chains, ranked by length — from the Andes and the Rockies to the Himalaya, the Urals, and beyond.

#	Place	Length (mi)
1	Andes The world's longest continental mountain range, the 7,000-km spine of South America	4,350 mi 7,000 km
2	Rocky Mountains North America's continental backbone, stretching nearly 4,800 km	2,983 mi 4,800 km
3	Great Dividing Range Australia's 3,500-km eastern cordillera	2,175 mi 3,500 km
4	Appalachian Mountains Eastern North America's ancient, worn-down range	2,051 mi 3,300 km
5	Ural Mountains The worn 2,500-km range that divides Europe from Asia	1,553 mi 2,500 km
6	Atlas Mountains The 2,500-km barrier between the Sahara and the Mediterranean	1,553 mi 2,500 km
7	Tian Shan The Celestial Mountains of Central Asia, a 2,500-km system of glaciated ranges	1,553 mi 2,500 km
8	Himalayas The planet's highest mountain system, a 2,400-km wall between the subcontinent and Tibet	1,491 mi 2,400 km
9	Scandinavian Mountains The Scandes, the glaciated spine of the Scandinavian Peninsula	1,056 mi 1,700 km
10	Zagros Mountains Iran's great folded range, a 1,600-km wall above the Persian Gulf	994 mi 1,600 km
11	Carpathian Mountains The great sweeping arc of central and eastern Europe	932 mi 1,500 km
12	Alps Europe's great arc of high peaks, glaciers, and Alpine valleys	746 mi 1,200 km

Figures are drawn from standard government and reference sources and shown in both imperial and metric units. See each entry for full details and citations. Browse all guides or open the explore map.