Border wall completion percentage
Executive summary
As of the federal data published on the CBP “Smart Wall Map,” approximately 702 miles of primary barrier existed before January 20, 2025, along a 1,954-mile U.S.–Mexico border—equaling about 36% coverage by primary barrier alone; counting roughly 75 miles of secondary barrier raises that to about 40% of the border with some form of constructed barrier (702/1,954 ≈ 35.9%; (702+75)/1,954 ≈ 39.8%) [1]. These percentages depend on how “completion” is defined: replacement of preexisting fences, new primary/secondary systems, and use of detection technology in lieu of physical barrier all alter the headline number [2] [1].
1. How the arithmetic is being reported — the baseline numbers
Customs and Border Protection’s public “Smart Wall Map” lists “Existing Barrier (prior to 1/20/2025): ~702 miles of Primary Wall & ~75 miles of Secondary Wall” against the 1,954-mile southwest border, which yields the ~36% primary / ~40% combined figure when calculated directly from CBP’s numbers [1]. Independent trackers and prior reporting show similar but not identical totals: media and watchdog tallies have historically cited 650–700+ miles of various fencing types already present before recent administrations’ construction spurts [3] [2] [4].
2. Why different camps quote very different percentages
Political and programmatic actors use different definitions. Administrations celebrating “miles built” have often counted replacements of older fencing as new construction, producing claims such as “more than 400 miles built during one term” or “450 miles completed in high-priority areas,” while watchdogs and reporters distinguish new miles from replaced miles and note much construction has been upgrade or replacement of existing barriers [2] [5]. Media outlets and NGOs also vary on whether they count only “primary barrier,” include secondary lines, or add state-level projects such as Texas’s program [2] [6].
3. Recent program additions and why they matter to the percent
Federal and state projects continue to add mileage: Texas’s border-wall program reported 56.9 miles completed by February 20, 2025, with plans to reach at least 100 miles by end of 2026, which would change state and national totals if included alongside federal CBP tallies [6]. DHS and Treasury funding moves, new contracts and announced “Smart Wall” plans—some reporting forecasts of 1,418 miles of new primary systems or other large program goals—illustrate how aspirational totals can eclipse the current reality on the ground [7].
4. Non-physical “coverage” complicates completion metrics
CBP notes that approximately 536 miles of the border without barrier will be covered by detection technology because terrain or remoteness make physical walls impractical; counting those miles as “covered” radically alters the interpretation of percent complete versus miles physically walled [1]. Conservation groups and border researchers emphasize that miles of physical barrier do not translate directly to functional blockage or ecological impacts, pointing to both replacement projects and new segments that change movement patterns for people and wildlife [8] [4].
5. Bottom line, limits of reporting, and the contested narrative
The clean numeric answer: roughly 36% of the 1,954-mile border had a primary physical barrier before Jan. 20, 2025, and about 40% if secondary barriers are included, based on CBP’s published map [1]. That figure is defensible arithmetic but sits inside a thicket of competing claims—administrations tout “miles built” including replacements [2] [5], private/state projects add local mileage [6], and plans for expansive “Smart Wall” systems or billions in funding promise future growth [7]. Sources differ in definitions and scope; this analysis follows CBP’s stated mileages and the internationally reported border length to produce a precise percentage, while acknowledging that counting methods determine the headline number [1] [3] [2].