Height chart
Average Height by Age for Boys and Girls
By the Taller team · Updated · 4 min read · How we write
The table below shows the average (median) height at every age from 2 to 20 for boys and girls in the US, with the normal range (5th to 95th percentile), from the CDC growth charts. Boys and girls are about the same height until 10; girls are slightly taller around 11 to 13, then boys keep growing for several more years.
| Age | Boys: median | Boys: 5th–95th | Girls: median | Girls: 5th–95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2'10" (86 cm) | 2'8" – 3'0.5" | 2'9.5" (85 cm) | 2'7" – 2'11.5" |
| 3 | 3'1.5" (95 cm) | 2'11" – 3'4" | 3'1" (94 cm) | 2'10.5" – 3'3.5" |
| 4 | 3'4" (102 cm) | 3'1.5" – 3'7" | 3'3.5" (101 cm) | 3'1" – 3'6.5" |
| 5 | 3'7" (109 cm) | 3'4" – 3'10" | 3'6.5" (108 cm) | 3'3.5" – 3'9.5" |
| 6 | 3'9.5" (115 cm) | 3'6" – 4'0.5" | 3'9" (115 cm) | 3'6" – 4'0.5" |
| 7 | 4'0" (122 cm) | 3'8.5" – 4'3.5" | 4'0" (121 cm) | 3'8.5" – 4'3.5" |
| 8 | 4'2.5" (128 cm) | 3'10.5" – 4'6" | 4'2" (128 cm) | 3'10.5" – 4'6" |
| 9 | 4'4.5" (134 cm) | 4'0.5" – 4'8.5" | 4'4.5" (133 cm) | 4'0.5" – 4'8.5" |
| 10 | 4'6.5" (139 cm) | 4'2.5" – 4'11" | 4'6.5" (138 cm) | 4'2" – 4'11" |
| 11 | 4'8.5" (144 cm) | 4'4" – 5'1" | 4'8.5" (144 cm) | 4'4" – 5'1.5" |
| 12 | 4'10.5" (149 cm) | 4'6" – 5'3.5" | 4'11.5" (151 cm) | 4'6.5" – 5'4" |
| 13 | 5'1.5" (156 cm) | 4'8.5" – 5'6.5" | 5'2" (157 cm) | 4'9.5" – 5'6.5" |
| 14 | 5'4.5" (164 cm) | 4'11" – 5'9.5" | 5'3" (160 cm) | 4'11" – 5'7.5" |
| 15 | 5'7" (170 cm) | 5'1.5" – 6'0" | 5'3.5" (162 cm) | 4'11.5" – 5'8" |
| 16 | 5'8.5" (174 cm) | 5'3" – 6'1" | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8" |
| 17 | 5'9" (175 cm) | 5'4" – 6'1.5" | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
| 18 | 5'9.5" (176 cm) | 5'4.5" – 6'2" | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
| 19 | 5'9.5" (177 cm) | 5'5" – 6'2" | 5'4.5" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
| 20 (adult) | 5'9.5" (177 cm) | 5'5" – 6'2" | 5'4.5" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
Boys
Girls
How to read a height chart
The 50th percentile is the middle: half of children of that age are taller and half are shorter. A child at the 90th percentile is taller than 90 out of 100 children of the same age and sex. Use the height percentile calculator for an exact percentile, or the height calculator to predict adult height.
For adults, see average height for men and average height for women.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average height for a 13-year-old?
On the CDC charts the median at 13 is 5'1.5" (156 cm) for boys and 5'2" (157 cm) for girls. Girls are briefly taller on average around 11 to 13 because their growth spurt comes earlier.
At what age do girls and boys reach adult height?
On average, girls reach their adult height around 14 to 15 and boys around 16 to 18, but timing varies by several years depending on when puberty starts.
What is the average adult height in the US?
On the CDC growth charts the median at 20 is 5'9.5" (177 cm) for men and 5'4.5" (163 cm) for women. National survey data (NHANES 2021–2023) put the average for adults 20 and over at 68.9 in for men and 63.5 in for women.
Is my child’s height normal?
Any height between about the 3rd and 97th percentile is common. Doctors look mostly at the trend: a child who keeps following the same percentile line is usually growing normally.
Sources
- Clinical Growth Charts (2000 CDC stature-for-age) — CDC / National Center for Health Statistics
- Data Table of Stature-for-age Charts (LMS parameters) — CDC
- FastStats: Body Measurements — CDC / NCHS