Fort Knox Gold Bar Weight and Official Dimensions
The standard gold bar held in the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox follows the Good Delivery specification used by major refiners and central banks. A standard gold bar weighs 400 troy ounces, which equals approximately 27.4 pounds or 12.4 kilograms, and measures roughly 7 inches long, 3.6 inches wide, and 1.7 inches thick. These bars are cast by licensed refiners such as PAMP Suisse, Perth Mint, and Valcambi, and they must meet strict fineness and weight tolerances set by the London Bullion Market Association LBMA Good Delivery rules.
Fort Knox does not publicly disclose the exact number of bars stored inside, but the U.S. Mint and Treasury confirm that the facility holds a large portion of the country's physical gold reserves. The gold stored at Fort Knox is part of the broader U.S. strategic bullion inventory, which also includes holdings at West Point and Denver. The vault itself is managed by the United States Bullion Depository, a secure facility operated under the direction of the Department of the Treasury U.S. Mint United States Bullion Depository page.
Current U.S. Gold Reserves and Fort Knox Role
As of the latest publicly available U.S. Treasury data, the United States holds the largest official gold reserve of any country, with over 8,100 metric tons of gold. Fort Knox is widely understood to be the primary storage location for a significant share of these reserves, though exact bar counts remain classified. The gold at Fort Knox is accounted as part of the Treasury's monetary assets and is not marked to market in the same way as exchange-traded products Forbes gold reserves by country data.
The weight of gold stored at Fort Knox contributes to the country's balance sheet and influences how the U.S. is perceived in global monetary policy discussions. While Fort Knox gold is not actively traded on the open market, its existence supports confidence in the U.S. dollar's historical link to gold. The exact current market value of the Fort Knox holdings depends on the spot price of gold, which fluctuates daily based on global trading U.S. Treasury official gold reserve data.
Fort Knox Vault Security and Gold Bar Handling
How Gold Bars Are Stored and Inspected
Inside the vault, gold bars are stacked in secure compartments and handled using strict chain-of-custody procedures. Each bar is weighed, measured, and assayed to confirm it meets the 400 troy ounce standard before acceptance. The U.S. Mint sets purity requirements, and bars are typically 24 karat or near-pure gold, with a minimum fineness of 99.5 percent U.S. Mint gold bullion information.
Physical Security and Access Controls
The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox is known for its layered physical security, including reinforced vault doors, motion detectors, and armed military protection. Access is tightly controlled, and independent audits are conducted to verify the presence and weight of stored gold. While detailed vault layouts remain confidential, the facility's design is intended to ensure that the gold bars inside remain secure against theft or unauthorized removal