The clitoris is located at the top of the vulva, where the inner lips (labia minora) meet. The visible part, called the glans, is a small nub of tissue that sits just above the urethral opening, often partially or fully covered by a fold of skin called the clitoral hood. Finding it is straightforward once you understand the basic landmarks.
Locating the Clitoris by Touch
Start at the top of the vulva, where the two inner lips join together. If you trace the inner lips upward from the vaginal opening, they converge at a point near the top of the vulva and form a small hood of skin. The glans of the clitoris sits just beneath that hood.
What you’re feeling for is a small, firm, rounded nub. The glans averages about 1 to 1.5 centimeters in length and roughly half a centimeter in diameter, though there’s considerable variation from person to person. In some people, the glans is easily visible when the hood is gently pulled back. In others, it stays mostly tucked beneath the hood and is easier to find by touch than by sight. Both are completely normal.
When you gently press the area just below where the inner lips meet, you may feel a small, slightly firmer structure beneath the skin. That’s the glans. It’s highly sensitive, containing over 10,000 nerve fibers in its main nerve bundle alone, with additional smaller nerves branching through the surrounding tissue. This makes it the most nerve-dense structure in the vulva.
Why It Looks Different Than You Expect
Most descriptions call the clitoris “pea-sized,” which is misleading. The visible part can be that small, but the full clitoris is much larger. Inside the body, it’s shaped like an upside-down wishbone. The glans connects to an internal body that extends downward and splits into two legs (called crura), which are the longest parts of the structure. These internal legs wrap around the vaginal canal and urethra. Between the legs and the vaginal wall sit two bulbs of erectile tissue.
MRI studies have confirmed that the bulbs, body, and legs form a single connected cluster of erectile tissue that partially surrounds the urethra and vagina. This means stimulation of the clitoris isn’t limited to touching the glans. Pressure applied to the front wall of the vagina or the surrounding area can also stimulate parts of this larger internal structure.
How It Changes During Arousal
The clitoris doesn’t stay the same size. During sexual arousal, blood flow to the erectile tissue increases significantly, causing the internal bulbs to swell. They can double in size. The glans itself becomes engorged and may push outward from beneath the hood, becoming more visible and easier to locate. Sensitivity also increases during this process.
This means the clitoris can be easier to find when a person is aroused. If you’re having difficulty locating it, arousal makes the glans more prominent and more responsive to touch. Before arousal, the glans may sit more flatly beneath the hood and feel less distinct.
Accounting for Normal Variation
The clitoral hood covers a different amount of the glans in every person. Some hoods are small and leave the glans mostly exposed. Others cover it entirely, so you’d need to gently retract the hood to see or feel the glans directly. The size of the glans itself also varies. A smaller glans isn’t less functional. The nerve density remains high regardless of size.
The position can vary slightly too. In most people, the glans sits clearly at the junction of the inner lips, but it may sit a bit higher or lower relative to the urethral opening. If you’re exploring your own body, using a mirror and gentle touch together is the most reliable way to identify it. If you’re trying to locate a partner’s clitoris, gentle exploration of the area where the inner lips meet, combined with communication, is more effective than relying on a fixed mental map.