diff --git a/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m b/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
index 39458c4f31c..606a0ac61b5 100644
--- a/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
+++ b/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ - (void)viewDidLoad
     [self restoreState:nil];
 
     self.debugLoggingEnabled = [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] boolForKey:@"MGLMapboxMetricsDebugLoggingEnabled"];
-
+    self.mapView.scaleBar.hidden = NO;
     self.hudLabel.hidden = YES;
 
     if ([MGLAccountManager accessToken].length)
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.h b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.h
index 785484520e0..62f6d9812a8 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.h
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.h
@@ -226,11 +226,8 @@ IB_DESIGNABLE
 - (IBAction)reloadStyle:(id)sender;
 
 /**
- A control indicating the scale of the map.
- 
- The scale bar becomes visible when a user interacts with the map and fades out
- when the interaction stops. The scale bar is positioned in the upper-left
- corner.
+ A control indicating the scale of the map. The scale bar is positioned in the
+ upper-left corner.
  */
 @property (nonatomic, readonly) UIView *scaleBar;
 
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
index 587cd283345..20c371b5f51 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
@@ -1274,7 +1274,6 @@ - (void)handlePanGesture:(UIPanGestureRecognizer *)pan
         }
 
         [self notifyGestureDidEndWithDrift:drift];
-        [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
 
         // metrics: pan end
         CGPoint pointInView = CGPointMake([pan locationInView:pan.view].x, [pan locationInView:pan.view].y);
@@ -1385,7 +1384,6 @@ - (void)handlePinchGesture:(UIPinchGestureRecognizer *)pinch
 
         [self notifyGestureDidEndWithDrift:drift];
         [self unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
-        [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
     }
 
     _previousPinchCenterCoordinate = [self convertPoint:centerPoint toCoordinateFromView:self];
@@ -1466,7 +1464,6 @@ - (void)handleRotateGesture:(UIRotationGestureRecognizer *)rotate
         else
         {
             [self notifyGestureDidEndWithDrift:NO];
-            [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
             [self unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
         }
     }
@@ -1604,11 +1601,9 @@ - (void)handleDoubleTapGesture:(UITapGestureRecognizer *)doubleTap
             [self animateWithDelay:MGLAnimationDuration animations:^
              {
                  [weakSelf unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
-                 [weakSelf notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
              }];
         } else {
             [self unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
-            [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1646,7 +1641,6 @@ - (void)handleTwoFingerTapGesture:(UITapGestureRecognizer *)twoFingerTap
             [self animateWithDelay:MGLAnimationDuration animations:^
              {
                  [weakSelf unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
-                 [weakSelf notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
              }];
         }
     }
@@ -1698,7 +1692,6 @@ - (void)handleQuickZoomGesture:(UILongPressGestureRecognizer *)quickZoom
     else if (quickZoom.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded || quickZoom.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateCancelled)
     {
         [self notifyGestureDidEndWithDrift:NO];
-        [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
         [self unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
     }
 }
@@ -1738,7 +1731,6 @@ - (void)handleTwoFingerDragGesture:(UIPanGestureRecognizer *)twoFingerDrag
     else if (twoFingerDrag.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded || twoFingerDrag.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateCancelled)
     {
         [self notifyGestureDidEndWithDrift:NO];
-        [self notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd];
         [self unrotateIfNeededForGesture];
     }
 
@@ -5205,11 +5197,6 @@ - (CGPoint)userLocationAnnotationViewCenter
     return center;
 }
 
-- (void)notifyScaleBarGestureDidEnd
-{
-    [(MGLScaleBar *)self.scaleBar fadeOut];
-}
-
 - (void)updateCompass
 {
     CLLocationDirection direction = self.direction;
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.h b/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.h
index 85bb1655453..77fd6736b58 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.h
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.h
@@ -3,10 +3,7 @@
 
 @interface MGLScaleBar : UIView
 
-// Sets the scale and fades in the scale bar
+// Sets the scale and redraws the scale bar
 @property (nonatomic, assign) CLLocationDistance metersPerPoint;
 
-// Fades out the scale bar
-- (void)fadeOut;
-
 @end
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.mm b/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.mm
index 703067f133c..f6490cf4fef 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.mm
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLScaleBar.mm
@@ -36,12 +36,6 @@
     {.distance = 500000, .numberOfBars = 2},
     {.distance = 600000, .numberOfBars = 3},
     {.distance = 800000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 1000000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 1200000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 1600000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 2000000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 3500000, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 5000000, .numberOfBars = 2},
 };
 
 static const MGLRow MGLImperialTable[] ={
@@ -76,17 +70,11 @@
     {.distance = 200*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
     {.distance = 300*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 3},
     {.distance = 400*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 800*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 1000*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 2000*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
-    {.distance = 3000*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 3},
-    {.distance = 4000*MGLFeetPerMile, .numberOfBars = 2},
 };
 
 @class MGLScaleBarLabel;
 
 @interface MGLScaleBar()
-@property (nonatomic, assign, getter=isVisible) BOOL visible;
 @property (nonatomic) NSArray<MGLScaleBarLabel *> *labels;
 @property (nonatomic) NSArray<UIView *> *bars;
 @property (nonatomic) UIView *containerView;
@@ -145,13 +133,12 @@ - (instancetype)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame {
 }
 
 - (void)commonInit {
-    _visible = NO;
     _primaryColor = [UIColor colorWithRed:18.0/255.0 green:45.0/255.0 blue:17.0/255.0 alpha:1];
     _secondaryColor = [UIColor colorWithRed:247.0/255.0 green:247.0/255.0 blue:247.0/255.0 alpha:1];
     _borderWidth = 1.0f;
     
     self.clipsToBounds = NO;
-    self.alpha = 0;
+    self.hidden = YES;
     
     _containerView = [[UIView alloc] init];
     _containerView.clipsToBounds = YES;
@@ -219,30 +206,6 @@ - (MGLRow)preferredRow {
     return row;
 }
 
-- (void)fadeIn {
-    if (self.isVisible) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    self.visible = YES;
-    
-    [UIView animateWithDuration:.2 delay:0 options:UIViewAnimationOptionBeginFromCurrentState animations:^{
-        self.alpha = 1.0;
-    } completion:nil];
-}
-
-- (void)fadeOut {
-    if (!self.isVisible) {
-        return;
-    }
-    
-    self.visible = NO;
-    
-    [UIView animateWithDuration:.3 delay:0.7 options:UIViewAnimationOptionBeginFromCurrentState animations:^{
-        self.alpha = 0.0;
-    } completion:nil];
-}
-
 #pragma mark - Setters
 
 - (void)setMetersPerPoint:(CLLocationDistance)metersPerPoint {
@@ -250,16 +213,31 @@ - (void)setMetersPerPoint:(CLLocationDistance)metersPerPoint {
         return;
     }
     
-    [self fadeIn];
-    
     _metersPerPoint = metersPerPoint;
     
+    [self updateVisibility];
+    
     self.row = [self preferredRow];
     
     [self invalidateIntrinsicContentSize];
     [self setNeedsLayout];
 }
 
+- (void)updateVisibility {
+    BOOL metric = [self usesMetricSystem];
+    
+    NSUInteger count = metric
+    ? sizeof(MGLMetricTable) / sizeof(MGLMetricTable[0])
+    : sizeof(MGLImperialTable) / sizeof(MGLImperialTable[0]);
+    
+    CLLocationDistance maximumDistance = [self maximumWidth] * [self unitsPerPoint];
+    CLLocationDistance allowedDistance = metric
+    ? MGLMetricTable[count-1].distance
+    : MGLImperialTable[count-1].distance;
+    
+    self.alpha = maximumDistance > allowedDistance ? 0 : 1;
+}
+
 - (void)setRow:(MGLRow)row {
     if (_row.distance == row.distance) {
         return;