Height Calculator
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Mid-parental target height for a girl: 5 ft 5.4 in (range 5 ft 2.1 in to 5 ft 8.8 in).
Mid-parental height (Tanner method) gives a target range, not a precise prediction: most children finish within it, but some don’t. It doesn’t use the child’s own growth, and it assumes both parents grew normally.
This is an estimate from a published formula, not medical advice. Talk to your child’s doctor if you have any concerns about their growth.
How to use the height calculator
- Choose "Predict a child's adult height" and select the child's sex.
- Enter both biological parents' heights, in feet and inches or in centimeters. Measured heights work better than remembered ones.
- Read the target height and the range around it. The range matters more than the single number.
- To convert a height, choose "Convert a height" and switch between US / Imperial and Metric to enter feet and inches or centimeters.
Mid-parental height formula
Girls: target height = (father's height + mother's height − 13 cm) ÷ 2
Target range = target height ± 8.5 cm (about ± 3.3 in)
This is the method described by Tanner, Goldstein and Whitehouse (Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1970). Because adult men are on average about 13 cm (5 in) taller than women, the mother's height is raised by 13 cm for a boy and the father's lowered by 13 cm for a girl before the two are averaged. Clinical references such as the MSD Manual and the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne give the expected range as 8.5 cm either side of the target, roughly two standard deviations.
Other methods, such as Khamis–Roche, also use the child's current height and weight. This calculator uses the mid-parental method only, because it is simple, transparent and based on a formula we could check against published sources.
Worked example
The mother is 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm) and the father 5 ft 11 in (180.3 cm). For a boy, the target is (180.3 + 165.1 + 13) ÷ 2 = 179.2 cm, or 5 ft 10.6 in, with a range of 5 ft 7.2 in to 6 ft 1.9 in. For a girl, it is (180.3 + 165.1 − 13) ÷ 2 = 166.2 cm, or 5 ft 5.4 in (5 ft 2.1 in to 5 ft 8.8 in).
In metric, parents of 165 cm and 180 cm give a target of 179 cm for a boy (170.5 to 187.5 cm) and 166 cm for a girl (157.5 to 174.5 cm).
Target heights by parents' heights
Each cell shows the target for a boy / a girl, generated with the calculator's engine. The range is ± 8.5 cm (about 3⅓ in) around each value.
| Mother | Father 5′6″ | Father 5′8″ | Father 5′10″ | Father 6′0″ | Father 6′2″ | Father 6′4″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5′0″ | 5′6″ / 5′0″ | 5′7″ / 5′1″ | 5′8″ / 5′2″ | 5′9″ / 5′3″ | 5′10″ / 5′4″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ |
| 5′2″ | 5′7″ / 5′1″ | 5′8″ / 5′2″ | 5′9″ / 5′3″ | 5′10″ / 5′4″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ | 6′0″ / 5′6″ |
| 5′4″ | 5′8″ / 5′2″ | 5′9″ / 5′3″ | 5′10″ / 5′4″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ | 6′0″ / 5′6″ | 6′1″ / 5′7″ |
| 5′6″ | 5′9″ / 5′3″ | 5′10″ / 5′4″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ | 6′0″ / 5′6″ | 6′1″ / 5′7″ | 6′2″ / 5′8″ |
| 5′8″ | 5′10″ / 5′4″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ | 6′0″ / 5′6″ | 6′1″ / 5′7″ | 6′2″ / 5′8″ | 6′3″ / 5′9″ |
| 5′10″ | 5′11″ / 5′5″ | 6′0″ / 5′6″ | 6′1″ / 5′7″ | 6′2″ / 5′8″ | 6′3″ / 5′9″ | 6′4″ / 5′10″ |
| Mother | Father 170 cm | Father 175 cm | Father 180 cm | Father 185 cm | Father 190 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155 cm | 169 / 156 | 171.5 / 158.5 | 174 / 161 | 176.5 / 163.5 | 179 / 166 |
| 160 cm | 171.5 / 158.5 | 174 / 161 | 176.5 / 163.5 | 179 / 166 | 181.5 / 168.5 |
| 165 cm | 174 / 161 | 176.5 / 163.5 | 179 / 166 | 181.5 / 168.5 | 184 / 171 |
| 170 cm | 176.5 / 163.5 | 179 / 166 | 181.5 / 168.5 | 184 / 171 | 186.5 / 173.5 |
| 175 cm | 179 / 166 | 181.5 / 168.5 | 184 / 171 | 186.5 / 173.5 | 189 / 176 |
Feet and inches to centimeters
| Height | Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 4′0″ | 48 | 121.9 |
| 4′2″ | 50 | 127 |
| 4′4″ | 52 | 132.1 |
| 4′6″ | 54 | 137.2 |
| 4′8″ | 56 | 142.2 |
| 4′10″ | 58 | 147.3 |
| 5′0″ | 60 | 152.4 |
| 5′2″ | 62 | 157.5 |
| 5′4″ | 64 | 162.6 |
| 5′6″ | 66 | 167.6 |
| 5′8″ | 68 | 172.7 |
| 5′10″ | 70 | 177.8 |
| 6′0″ | 72 | 182.9 |
| 6′2″ | 74 | 188 |
| 6′4″ | 76 | 193 |
| 6′6″ | 78 | 198.1 |
Reading the result
- It is a range, not a promise. Children from the same parents can differ a lot in height. The ± 8.5 cm range (3.3 in) shows the spread to expect.
- Growth over time tells more. Doctors look at how a child follows their own growth curve, not at a single estimate. A child crossing percentile lines, or growing far outside the family pattern, is worth discussing.
- Health and timing matter. Nutrition, chronic illness and early or late puberty can all change adult height, and the formula assumes both parents reached their own expected heights.
- It applies to biological parents. Heights of step-parents or adoptive parents don't predict a child's growth.
This is not medical advice; talk to your child's doctor about growth concerns. For body measurements in adults, see the BMI calculator (which also covers children's BMI-for-age) and the ideal weight calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I predict my child’s adult height?
Add the parents’ heights, add 13 cm (about 5 in) for a boy or subtract 13 cm for a girl, and divide by 2. For a mother of 5 ft 5 in and a father of 5 ft 11 in, that gives about 5 ft 10.6 in for a boy and 5 ft 5.4 in for a girl, each with a range of about ±3.3 in.
How accurate is the mid-parental height method?
It gives a target range rather than an exact height. Clinical references give the range as 8.5 cm (3.3 in) either side of the target, roughly two standard deviations, so most children finish inside it but some don’t. A child’s growth over time is a better guide than any one estimate.
What is the target height for a girl with parents of 165 cm and 180 cm?
Subtract 13 cm from the father’s height and average it with the mother’s: (180 − 13 + 165) ÷ 2 = 166 cm, with a range of 157.5 to 174.5 cm. A boy with the same parents has a target of (180 + 165 + 13) ÷ 2 = 179 cm, range 170.5 to 187.5 cm.
How do I convert feet and inches to centimeters?
Multiply the feet by 12, add the inches and multiply by 2.54. 5 ft 9 in is 69 inches, which is 175.26 cm. To go back, divide the centimeters by 2.54 to get inches, then divide by 12: 180 cm is 70.9 inches, or 5 ft 10.9 in.
When should I worry about my child’s height?
This calculator can’t tell you that. Doctors look at how a child grows over time on a growth chart, compared with the family pattern. If you are concerned about your child’s growth, or their height seems far outside the family range, talk to your child’s doctor.