| The Vertical Earth Kilometer | |
|---|---|
 The only part of The Vertical Earth Kilometer visible above ground | |
| Artist | Walter De Maria |
| Year | 1977 |
| Medium | Brass |
| Movement | Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Land Art |
| Location | Dia Art Foundation, Kassel, Germany |
| 51°18′48″N 9°29′48″E / 51.313198°N 9.496728°E | |
| Accession | 1977.002 |
| Website | www |
The Vertical Earth Kilometer is a permanent art installation created by Walter De Maria in Friedrichsplatz Park in front of the Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The Vertical Earth Kilometer is a solid brass rod, one kilometer (3,280.84 ft.) in length and 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter. It is inserted into the earth so that its top is flush to the ground and embedded in a two-by-two-meter red sandstone square. Installed in 1977 during documenta 6, it has been on permanent view ever since. The Vertical Earth Kilometer is maintained by the Dia Art Foundation as one of the twelve locations and sites they manage.
De Maria's 1979 artwork The Broken Kilometer in New York City is a companion piece to The Vertical Earth Kilometer.