Hydraulic fracturing has proven to be a fruitful well stimulation technique in an ever-increasing range of environments. Application has spread from the original targel of enhancing production rates from low permeability reservoirs to fracturing of poorly consolidated high perm reservoirs, fracturing of horizontal and deviated wellbores, fracturing of unconventional (often naturally fractured) reservoirs, fracturing for waste disposal, etc. While significant progress has been made in engineering hydraulic fracturing treatments, we are still often humbled and alarmed by the apparent complexity of the process This paper does not present the answer to this complex problem. Instead it attempts to shed some light on areas where we must be careful with our assumptions. This paper presents examples of measuring (inferring) hydraulic fracture growth in a number of different environments. For each example we discuss the implications of the observed fracture growth. For example, how accurate were the fracture model predictions How effective is the current completion / fracturing strategy in achieving the design goals. What are we learning about the factors or mechanisms that govern hydraulic fracture growth? How can these new insights aid production enhancement? While most of the direct observations of hydraulic fracture growth are from downhole-tilt fracture mapping, data from many additional diagnostics are also included (post-frac logging, production response, intersections with offset wells microseismic mapping, etc). Perhaps the most surprising observation is the observed range of fracture height growth: spanning from well-contained fractures in the absence of significant formation stress barriers, to extremely uncontained fracture height growth. Observations of fracture width, length. and asymmetry will also be presented and discussed.