Arthur's Pass: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Arthur's Pass is an alpine crossing of the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. It is at a height of 920 metres above sea level.

The pass is named after Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, who led the first party of Europeans across the pass in 1864.

State highway 73 passes over Arthur's Pass and is one of only three roads crossing the Southern Alps. Previously prone to be blocked by landslides or avalanches, the road on the western side of the pass has seen extensive civil engineering work in the late 1990s. Most notably, the Otira Viaduct, spanning 440 meters of unstable terrain, was completed in 1999.

Arthur's Pass Village, a hamlet about 5km south of the pass, is a popular base for exploring Arthurs Pass National Park.