About 275,000 plasma measurements with the AMPTE/IRM satellite in the magnetotail are used for a statistical survey on the geometry of the near-Earth plasma sheet. Near the midnight meridian the plasma sheet has a typical thickness of 6 RE; at its flanks it is more than twice as thick. The average plasma sheet thickness does not vary much with ‖XGSM‖ during disturbed intervals, but during quiet periods the plasma sheet is considerably thinner at greater distances. The best chances to see the plasma sheet boundary layer are near ‖ZNS‖≈5 RE, except during quiet times for ‖XGSM‖>15 RE. In the latter case, the plasma sheet boundary layer is much closer to the neutral sheet and the central plasma sheet may often be thinner than 2 RE. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990