The clitoris is located at the top of the vulva, where the inner lips (labia minora) meet. The small, rounded part you can see and feel is called the glans, and it sits just above the urethral opening. But that visible portion is only a fraction of the full organ, which extends several centimeters inside the body.
Finding the External Glans
If you follow the inner lips of the vulva upward toward the pubic bone, they converge at the top to form a small fold of skin called the clitoral hood. Underneath that hood sits the glans clitoris, a small, rounded nub of tissue. It’s the most externally visible part of the clitoris and the part most people are referring to when they use the word.
The hood can cover all, some, or none of the glans. This varies from person to person and is completely normal. In some people the glans is easily visible without touching anything; in others, you need to gently retract the hood to see or feel it. The hood itself has two layers: an outer fold continuous with the skin of the vulva, and a deeper “collar” that wraps snugly around the base of the glans. Together, these layers protect the highly sensitive tissue underneath.
The glans is small. A meta-analysis of anatomical studies found average dimensions of roughly 6.4 mm long and 5.1 mm wide, though individual measurements range widely. One study of healthy women found a mean length of about 5.1 mm and width of 3.4 mm, with women who had given birth tending to have slightly larger measurements. Age, height, and weight did not meaningfully affect size.
The Internal Structure Most People Don’t Know About
The glans is sometimes compared to the tip of an iceberg. The full clitoris is a Y-shaped organ measuring roughly 7 to 13 cm in total length. Below the glans, a shaft (called the body) extends inward and upward toward the pubic bone. The body averages about 25 mm long and is made of erectile tissue, the same type of spongy, blood-vessel-rich tissue found in a penis.
At the far end of the body, the structure splits into two legs called crura (singular: crus) that flare outward and run along either side of the pubic bone. Each leg averages about 52 mm long. Flanking the vaginal opening are two bulb-shaped masses of erectile tissue, roughly the same length, that sit just beneath the inner lips. Together, these internal components surround the vaginal canal and urethra on multiple sides, which is why stimulation of areas beyond the glans can also feel pleasurable.
Why It’s So Sensitive
The glans clitoris is the most nerve-dense structure in the vulva. A 2023 histological study was the first to directly count the nerve fibers in the human clitoris. Researchers found approximately 10,280 myelinated nerve fibers supplying the glans, and noted the true total is higher still when smaller, unmyelinated fibers are included. That concentration of nerve endings packed into such a small area is what makes the glans extraordinarily responsive to touch.
Not everyone experiences that sensitivity the same way. For some, direct contact with the glans feels too intense, and indirect stimulation through the hood or surrounding tissue is more comfortable. Others prefer direct contact. Both are normal, and the variation is partly explained by differences in hood coverage and individual nerve distribution.
What Happens During Arousal
When a person becomes sexually aroused, the erectile tissue throughout the clitoris fills with blood, just like an erection in a penis. Nerve signals trigger the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes smooth muscle in the clitoral arteries and allows blood to rush into the spongy chambers of the body and crura. This causes the entire organ to swell and stiffen.
One visible result is that the glans becomes slightly larger and more prominent, pushing outward from beneath the hood. The surrounding inner lips and tissue also engorge. This increased blood flow heightens sensitivity, making the area more responsive to stimulation. After orgasm or when arousal fades, the blood drains back out and the tissue returns to its resting state.
How It Relates to Nearby Structures
The vulva has several openings and structures packed into a compact area, which can make orientation confusing. Starting from the top: the glans clitoris sits highest, nestled under its hood where the inner lips meet. Below it is the urethral opening (where urine exits), and below that is the vaginal opening. All three are enclosed within the outer lips (labia majora).
Internally, the clitoral crura and bulbs run alongside both the urethra and vaginal canal. The front wall of the vagina is separated from the back wall of the urethra by a thin layer of tissue only about 10 to 12 mm thick. This close proximity is one reason stimulation of the front vaginal wall can indirectly activate clitoral nerve pathways, contributing to what some people describe as internal or “G-spot” sensations.