Clitoris: Anatomy, Location, Purpose & Conditions (2024)

Table of Contents

Where is your clitoris located? What does the clitoris look like? How big is the clitoris? What is the clitoris made of? How many nerve endings does the clitoris have?

Where is your clitoris located?

Most people think of the clitoris as the tiny button of flesh that’s the most sensitive part of your external genitals (vulva), but your clitoris is located inside your pelvic cavity, too.

Outside your body

The part of your clitoris that extends outside your body is located at the top of your vulva. Beneath your clitoris is your urethral opening (the hole where you pee), your vaginal opening (the hole where you have intercourse), a space of skin called your perineum and your anus (the hole where you poop). On either side of your clitoris and vaginal opening are two flaps of skin called your labia minora (inner vaginal lips). Your labia majora (outer vaginal lips) surround your inner vaginal lips. A mound of skin called your mons pubis is above your clitoris, directly atop your pubic bone.

Zooming in, the parts of your clitoris that are outside your body include:

Inside your body

Inside your body, your clitoris is shaped like an upside-down wishbone, with a clitoral body branching out to form a V shape.

Body (corpora): The body of your clitoris is located behind your glans. Think of it as the top of the wishbone that isn’t divided. The body extends downward and branches off to form a pair of legs, the crura.
Crura: The crura are two legs that extend from the clitoral body. They’re the longest part of your clitoris. Together, they form the “V” of the wishbone and surround your vaginal canal and urethra (the tube that carries pee out of your body).
Vestibular (clitoral) bulbs: The vestibular bulbs are in between your crura and your vaginal wall. Like the crura, the vestibular bulbs are a paired structure. When you’re aroused, they swell with blood and can even double in size.
Root: The nerves from the erectile tissue that makes up the various structures in your clitoris meet at the root. The root is located where the legs of the crura meet.

Research is ongoing about the relationship between the clitoris and the G-spot, or Grafenberg spot. The G-spot refers to a region just a few inches inside your vagina that may feel especially pleasurable when stimulated. You can feel it by inserting a finger into your vagina and making a “come hither” motion in the direction of your front vaginal wall.

This spot may feel pleasurable because it’s where the vestibular bulbs of your clitoris rub up against the vaginal wall. If this is the case, vaginal orgasms may be related to clitoral stimulation.

What does the clitoris look like?

Your clitoris looks different depending on the view.

The part of the clitoris you can see (glans) looks like a tiny nub of flesh that’s hooded (clitoral hood) and surrounded by wrinkly flaps of skin (inner vaginal lips). The glans is often compared to a pea or the bud of a flower. Most diagrams that show the entire clitoris depict it like a wishbone, with both legs of the clitoris (crura) extending across the vaginal wall.

How big is the clitoris?

The entire clitoris, from the glans to the crura, is about 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide. The glans is about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter.

What is the clitoris made of?

Your clitoris contains a complex network of erectile tissue and nerves that make it your most highly sensitive erogenous zone.

Except for your glans, your clitoris consists of erectile tissue that fills with blood and expands when stimulated. This erectile tissue is similar to the tissue in the penis. When you’re aroused, the crura and the vestibule bulbs can expand so much that they cause your labia to swell. Your swollen labia may partially or completely cover your glans. Or, the swelling may cause your glans to stick out more.

Inside your body, the swelling adds pressure to your vaginal wall. The squeezing stimulates lubrication inside your vagina, which increases feelings of pleasure and accommodates vaginal penetration.

Your glans is filled with nerve endings that make it incredibly sensitive. It’s so sensitive that applying too much pressure or touching the glans directly during sex may feel painful. Multiple nerve bundles and nerve endings create these sensations in your clitoris. Important nerves in your clitoris include:

Dorsal nerve.
Portions of your pudendal nerve.
Cavernous nerves.

How many nerve endings does the clitoris have?

The glans alone contains about 8,000 nerve endings. Your clitoris has more nerve endings than any other part of your vulva. Together, these nerves can produce a range of pleasurable sensations, depending on how your clitoris is touched and how sexually aroused you are.