Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, September 13, 2026
Cheyenne Mountain was chosen for NORAD's command center due to its solid granite composition, which provided a natural shield against blast effects, heat, radiation, and debris. The mountain allowed for chambers to be excavated deep underground, with 1,500 to 2,000 feet of rock acting as armor. This geology, combined with its location near existing NORAD operations and sparse surrounding population, made it an ideal site.
“Cheyenne Mountain consists largely of extremely solid granite. Granite provides an enormous natural shield against blast effects, heat, radiation, and flying debris.”
“Instead of constructing thousands of feet of reinforced concrete, engineers could use the mountain itself as armor.”
“The mountain also allowed chambers to be excavated deep enough that roughly 1,500 to 2,000 feet of rock could lie between portions of the facility and the surface.”