Average height
Average Height for a 16-Year-Old Girl
By the Taller team · Updated · 4 min read · How we write
The average height for a 16-year-old girl in the US is about 5'4" (163 cm), the 50th percentile on the CDC growth charts (measured halfway through the year, at 16½). Most 16-year-old girls are between 5'0" and 5'8.5" tall (5th to 95th percentile).
Height percentiles for 16-year-old girls
A percentile tells you how many girls of the same age are shorter: at the 75th percentile, a girl is taller than 75 out of 100 girls 16 years old.
| Percentile | At 16 | At 16½ |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 5'0" (152 cm) | 5'0" (152 cm) |
| 10th | 5'0.5" (154 cm) | 5'1" (154 cm) |
| 25th | 5'2.5" (158 cm) | 5'2.5" (158 cm) |
| 50th (median) | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'4" (163 cm) |
| 75th | 5'5.5" (167 cm) | 5'6" (167 cm) |
| 90th | 5'7.5" (171 cm) | 5'7.5" (171 cm) |
| 95th | 5'8" (173 cm) | 5'8.5" (173 cm) |
How much will a 16-year-old girl grow?
At the median, girls grow about 0.1 in (0.4 cm) between 16 and 17. A girl of average height at 16 has reached about 100% of adult height and still has around 0.3 in (1 cm) to go.
At 16, almost all girls have finished growing. Very late bloomers may still gain a little.
Check a height
Enter a height to see its exact percentile for girls aged 16.
Is my daughter’s height normal?
Any height between roughly the 3rd and 97th percentile is common. What matters more is the trend: a child who stays on the same percentile line over the years is usually growing normally. Talk to a doctor if your child is below the 3rd percentile, much shorter than the parents’ heights suggest, has stopped growing, or has crossed two major percentile lines downward. See the height percentile calculator.
Average height for girls by age
| Age | Median height | Normal range (5th–95th) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 years | 4'3.5" (130 cm) | 3'11.5" – 4'7.5" |
| 9 years | 4'5.5" (135 cm) | 4'1.5" – 4'9.5" |
| 10 years | 4'7.5" (141 cm) | 4'3" – 5'0" |
| 11 years | 4'10" (148 cm) | 4'5.5" – 5'3" |
| 12 years | 5'1" (155 cm) | 4'8" – 5'5.5" |
| 13 years | 5'2.5" (159 cm) | 4'10.5" – 5'7" |
| 14 years | 5'3.5" (161 cm) | 4'11.5" – 5'7.5" |
| 15 years | 5'4" (162 cm) | 4'11.5" – 5'8" |
| 16 years | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
| 17 years | 5'4" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
| 18 years | 5'4.5" (163 cm) | 5'0" – 5'8.5" |
Frequently asked questions
Is 5'6" tall for a 16-year-old girl?
Yes. 5'6" is about the 77th percentile for girls aged 16, so taller than roughly 77 out of 100. Being tall at 16 can also mean an early growth spurt, so it doesn’t guarantee being tall as an adult.
Is 5'2" short for a 16-year-old girl?
5'2" is about the 21st percentile for girls aged 16: below average but well within the normal range. Many girls who are shorter at 16 simply start puberty later and catch up.
How much will a 16-year-old girl grow?
At the median, girls grow about 0.1 in (0.4 cm) between 16 and 17, and about 0.3 in (1 cm) in total before adulthood. The real number depends on genetics and puberty timing.
How tall will a 16-year-old girl be as an adult?
A girl of median height at 16 is on track for about 5'4.5" (163 cm). For a personal estimate that also uses the parents’ heights, use the height calculator.
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
- Puberty — Nemours KidsHealth
Keep reading
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Growth is very individual: if you are worried about your height, growth or puberty, talk to a doctor or a pediatric endocrinologist.