Volcano · United States
Mount St. Helens
Its 1980 sideways blast is the deadliest eruption in US history.
Status right now
No current reports
Mount St. Helens is not in the latest Smithsonian weekly report, the USGS list of volcanoes on alert or the GDACS volcano alerts. That usually means it is quiet, but not every change is reported straight away. For official alerts, follow the local volcano observatory.
Checked 4 Nov 2026, 23:42 UTC.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- Region
- North America
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Summit
- 2,549 m (8,363 ft)
- Coordinates
- 46.200° N, 122.180° W
- Smithsonian number
- 321050
- USGS page
- usgs.gov/volcanoes/mount-st.-helens
What kind of volcano is it?
Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a tall, steep cone built from layers of lava, ash and rock from many eruptions. Its sticky magma traps gas, so eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
Eruption history
| Date | VEI | Deaths | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1980 | 5 | 61 | tsunami, earthquake |
| 1800 | 5 | – | – |
| 1,860 BCE | 6 | – | – |
3 significant eruptions near Mount St. Helens in NOAA's Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database, which lists eruptions that caused deaths, damage or a tsunami, or were VEI 6 or larger. VEI is the Volcanic Explosivity Index, from 0 to 8.
Nearby volcanoes
- Mount RainierUnited States · 79 km
- YellowstoneUnited States · 920 km
- AugustineUnited States (Alaska) · 2,524 km
- SpurrUnited States (Alaska) · 2,554 km
- PavlofUnited States (Alaska) · 2,925 km
- ShishaldinUnited States (Alaska) · 3,054 km
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.