25 YEARS ON · SEPTEMBER 11, 2001–2026

Markets, the economy, and Ground Zero — a quarter-century on

How Wall Street reacted in the days after the attacks, what the war on terror and homeland security buildout ultimately cost, and how far the rebuilt World Trade Center site has come.

01 · MARKET SHOCK

Wall Street's worst week since the Depression

Equity markets shut for four trading days — the longest closure since 1933 — before reopening on September 17 to the heaviest single-day volume in NYSE history at the time.

−7.1%
Dow's fall on reopening day, Sept 17 — the biggest one-day point drop in history up to then (684 points)
−14.3%
Dow's decline for the full week — the worst week for US stocks since the Great Depression
$1.4T
Approximate market value erased across US equities in that first week
<1 month
Time it took the S&P 500 to claw back to pre-attack levels
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE · SEP–OCT 2001 · APPROX. CLOSING LEVELS SOURCE: NYSE / BENZINGA / CNBC
02 · ECONOMIC AFTERMATH

From an already-slowing economy to two decades of war spending

9/11 hit an economy already in a dot-com-bust recession, deepened it, and set off a security and military buildout whose bills are still being paid.

Insured losses
~$40B
Homeland security spend (attributable)
~$1T
Afghanistan war (through FY2024)
~$1.2T
Iraq & Syria wars (through FY2024)
~$1.2T
Total post-9/11 war spend (high estimate)
~$8T

Estimates vary widely by methodology and what's included (veterans' care, interest on debt). Figures drawn from Brown University's Costs of War project and City Journal analysis; bars are illustrative, not to a single consistent scale.

03 · GROUND ZERO REBUILT

From 1.8 million tons of rubble to a finished skyline

Cleanup finished in May 2002. The rebuild is only now, in 2026, entering its final phase.

MAY 2002
Ground Zero cleared
The last standing WTC column is removed, ending the recovery and debris-removal operation.
2003
Daniel Libeskind's master plan chosen
A five-tower plan, a memorial, and a transit hub are selected to guide the rebuild.
2006
7 World Trade Center reopens
The first tower on the site to be rebuilt, completed just off the original footprint.
2011
9/11 Memorial opens
Twin reflecting pools open to the public on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
2014
One World Trade Center opens
The 104-story, 1,776-foot tower — the complex's centerpiece — welcomes its first tenants.
2014–2018
Museum, 4 WTC and 3 WTC completed
The 9/11 Memorial Museum (2014), 4 World Trade Center (2013), and 3 World Trade Center (2018) round out the site.
2026
2 World Trade Center breaks ground
American Express signs on as sole anchor tenant; construction on the final tower formally resumes in July 2026.
~2031 (expected)
2 World Trade Center set to complete
At 1,226 feet, it will close out the 16-acre rebuild roughly 30 years after the attacks.
04 · SITE STATUS, BUILDING BY BUILDING

Where every tower on the 16-acre site stands

Building ↕ Height ↕ Completed / Target ↕ Status ↕