When Do Girls Stop Growing?

Most girls stop growing taller around 14 or 15, usually within a year or two after their first period. On CDC growth charts, the median girl has about 1.2 inches (3 cm) left to grow at 14 and roughly half an inch (1.5 cm) at 15. Girls who start puberty later finish later, and some still add a fraction of an inch after 16.

What age do girls stop growing?

Nemours KidsHealth says girls usually reach their adult height around 14 or 15, earlier or later depending on when puberty started. That is about two years ahead of boys, because girls start puberty and hit their growth spurt sooner.

Puberty usually begins between 8 and 13 in girls, most often with breast buds. Its hormones first trigger a growth spurt and then close the growth plates, the softer areas near the ends of long bones where new bone forms. In girls these plates typically close between about 13 and 15, and once they do, height is set for good.

So the real answer depends on your own timeline. A girl who gets breast buds at 9 will usually stop growing years before one who starts at 13, even if both end up the same height.

Girls' height by age (CDC medians)

These are medians for US girls: half are taller, half are shorter, and many are a year or two ahead of or behind this schedule. To see where your own numbers point, try the height calculator.

When is a girl's growth spurt?

Girls grow fastest between breast budding and about six months before their first period. In a classic review of US data, the average girl's peak came at about 11.5 years, when she grew roughly 3.3 inches (8.3 cm) in a single year. Puberty as a whole adds about 11 inches (28 cm) to a girl's height.

Because the spurt comes early in puberty for girls, many of them are taller than boys their age around 11 to 13. Boys catch up and pass them a couple of years later. Our growth spurt guide covers the signs and timing.

How much do girls grow after their first period?

The first period usually arrives two to three years after breast buds appear, at an average age of about 12 in the US. By that point the fastest growth is usually over. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and KidsHealth say most girls grow about 1 to 2 more inches (2.5 to 5 cm) after their first period.

That growth tapers off quickly. In a study of US high school girls, about two in three were still growing at least 0.4 inch (1 cm) a year one full year after their first period, but only about one in three were two years after.

Bottom line: If your first period was less than a year ago, you probably have a little growing left. If it was more than two years ago, you are most likely at or very near your adult height.

When do women stop growing in height?

For almost all women, height growth is finished by the late teens. The CDC numbers show the median girl gains only about a quarter inch (0.6 cm) between 16 and 18, and about 0.1 inch (0.2 cm) more by 20. US women aged 20 and older average 63.5 inches, about 5'3.5" (161 cm). For more detail, see average height for women.

Once the growth plates have closed, nothing can make the bones longer. Standing up straight can make your measured height a bit more accurate, but it does not add real growth.

Signs a girl is almost done growing

• Your first period was more than two years ago. This is the single most useful sign for girls.
• Your growth has nearly stopped. Less than about 0.4 inch (1 cm) over a full year means you are at or close to adult height.
• Your body shape looks adult. Breast development and pubic hair have reached their adult pattern.
• Your clothes and shoes have fit the same for a year or more. Feet often stop growing earlier than height, so shoe size alone is a weak clue.

Only a bone age X-ray read by a doctor can confirm whether your growth plates are closed. For a quick estimate at home, the Am I done growing? quiz uses your age, recent growth and time since your first period.

How to estimate your adult height

• Track your growth every three months, barefoot and at the same time of day.
• Use your parents' heights. Subtract 5 inches from your dad's height, add your mom's height, and divide by two. Most girls land within about 4 inches of that number. The mid-parental height calculator does it for you.
• Look at your percentile. Many girls end up near the percentile they followed before puberty, although early or late puberty can shift it for a while.

While you are still growing, sleep (8 to 10 hours for ages 13 to 18), enough food and regular activity help you reach your genetic potential. Very low body fat, eating disorders and intense training without enough food can delay puberty.

When to see a doctor

Ask a doctor to check your growth if:

• Breasts have not started to develop by about age 13.
• Your period has not started by about age 16.
• Signs of puberty started before age 8.
• Puberty started but does not seem to be moving forward.
• Your growth was normal and then slowed down a lot, or you are dropping across percentile lines.
• You are much shorter than your parents' heights would suggest.

Most of the time the answer is reassuring, often a family pattern of late development. A doctor can order a bone age X-ray and blood tests and refer you to a pediatric endocrinologist if something needs treatment.

The short version

Most girls stop growing around 14 or 15, usually within a year or two after their first period, and women do not grow taller after the late teens. If your period started recently, expect an inch or two more at most. If you are unsure where you stand, track your height for a few months, and see a doctor if any of the warning signs above apply. Boys run on a later clock, which we explain in when do boys stop growing.