Height prediction
How Tall Will a 17-Year-Old Boy Be?
By the Taller team · Updated · 4 min read · How we write
A boy of average height at 17 (5'9" (176 cm)) is on track to be about 5'9.5" (176 cm) as an adult. Find your current height in the chart below to see your own projection: it assumes you keep the same percentile on the CDC growth charts until you stop growing.
At 17, most boys are close to their adult height and grow less than an inch a year. Late bloomers may keep growing a little until about 18 to 21.
Predicted adult height for 17-year-old boys
Heights measured around 17½. “Likely range” reflects how much puberty timing usually changes the outcome at this age.
| Height at 17 | Percentile | Predicted adult height | Likely range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5'4" (163 cm) | 4th | 5'4.5" (164 cm) | 5'4" – 5'5.5" |
| 5'5" (165 cm) | 7th | 5'5.5" (166 cm) | 5'5" – 5'6.5" |
| 5'6" (168 cm) | 13th | 5'6.5" (169 cm) | 5'6" – 5'7.5" |
| 5'7" (170 cm) | 22nd | 5'7.5" (171 cm) | 5'7" – 5'8" |
| 5'8" (173 cm) | 34th | 5'8.5" (174 cm) | 5'8" – 5'9" |
| 5'9" (175 cm) | 47th | 5'9.5" (176 cm) | 5'9" – 5'10" |
| 5'10" (178 cm) | 61st | 5'10.5" (179 cm) | 5'10" – 5'11" |
| 5'11" (180 cm) | 74th | 5'11.5" (181 cm) | 5'11" – 6'0" |
| 6'0" (183 cm) | 84th | 6'0.5" (184 cm) | 6'0" – 6'1" |
| 6'1" (185 cm) | 91st | 6'1.5" (186 cm) | 6'1" – 6'2" |
| 6'2" (188 cm) | 96th | 6'2.5" (189 cm) | 6'2" – 6'3" |
Get a personal prediction
Your parents’ heights matter as much as your current height. Add them below for a prediction that combines both.
Why the prediction can be off
- Puberty timing. A boy who starts puberty early looks tall for 17 but usually stops growing sooner. A late bloomer looks short now and keeps growing longer. See late bloomers and growth spurts.
- Genetics. Children tend to end up near their parents’ mid-parental target height.
- Health and habits. Sleep, nutrition and general health help a boy reach the height his genes allow, but don’t raise the ceiling. See how to grow taller at 17.
Only a bone-age X-ray read by a doctor can narrow the estimate much further. Median adult height in the US is 5'9.5" for men and 5'4.5" for women on the same charts.
Frequently asked questions
If I’m 5'7" at 17, how tall will I be?
A boy who is 5'7" at 17 is around the 22nd percentile. If he stays on that growth curve, his adult height would be about 5'7.5" (171 cm), most likely between 5'7" and 5'8". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
If I’m 5'9" at 17, how tall will I be?
A boy who is 5'9" at 17 is around the 47th percentile. If he stays on that growth curve, his adult height would be about 5'9.5" (176 cm), most likely between 5'9" and 5'10". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
If I’m 5'11" at 17, how tall will I be?
A boy who is 5'11" at 17 is around the 74th percentile. If he stays on that growth curve, his adult height would be about 5'11.5" (181 cm), most likely between 5'11" and 6'0". Early or late puberty and the parents’ heights can move this.
How accurate are these predictions?
They assume a boy keeps the same percentile until adulthood, which is a reasonable average but not a rule. Around this age puberty timing is the biggest unknown: early bloomers often end up shorter than their projection and late bloomers taller. Adding both parents’ heights in the calculator improves the estimate.
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
Predictions for other ages (boys)
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.