How tall is a giraffe?

Dimensions

About the giraffe

The giraffe is the tallest living land animal, and males are markedly taller and heavier than females. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance gives standing heights of up to about 18 ft for males and 14 ft for females. In one measured sample, adults averaged about 2.8 m at the shoulder for females and 3.3 m for males, and about 830 kg for females and 1,190 kg for males. Britannica gives maximum weights of about 1,930 kg for males and 1,180 kg for females.

• In a sample of 15 to 18 measured giraffes, mean weight was 1,191.8 kg for males and 828.4 kg for females. [2]
• Mean total length from snout to tail tip was 5.05 m in males and 4.44 m in females in the same sample. [2]
• The giraffe's tail measures 76 to 110 cm. [2]
• Males may exceed 5.5 m (18 ft) in height, and the tallest females reach about 4.5 m. Giraffes grow to nearly full height by age four but keep gaining weight until seven or eight. [3]
• A giraffe's neck is about 6 ft (1.8 m) long, and its legs are also about 6 ft long. [1]

How many fit?

• ≈ 2.4–3.4 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Giraffe · height (tallest females to tallest males)
• ≈ 9.2–15 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Giraffe · body mass
• ≈ 2.3–3 × Gorilla · standing height (adult male) lined up end to end match the Giraffe · height (tallest females to tallest males)
• ≈ 6.1–8.8 × Gorilla · mass (adult male, average) on the scales weigh as much as Giraffe · body mass

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

• 2.4–3.4× A giraffe is about 2.4–3.4 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
• 2.3–3× A giraffe is about 2.3–3 times as tall as a gorilla. See side by side
• 2.9–3.7× A giraffe is about 2.9–3.7 times as tall as a Holstein cow is tall at the shoulder. See side by side
• 3.5–5.1× A giraffe is about 3.5–5.1 times as tall as an African lion is tall at the shoulder. See side by side
• 1/0.9–1.2 A giraffe is about as tall as a mid-size car is long. See side by side
• 1/2–2.5 A school bus is about 2–2.5 times as long as a giraffe is tall. See side by side

Factors compare the height (tallest females to tallest males) of a giraffe with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

• Sources give only per-sex maxima for height, so these are stored as separate 'up to' values for males and females, not as a range. Britannica agrees on 18 ft (5.5 m) for males, which it says may be exceeded, but puts the tallest females at about 4.5 m rather than the San Diego Zoo's 4.3 m.
• The San Diego Zoo animal page gives maximum weights of 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) for males and 1,500 lb (680 kg) for females. These are not used because the measured female mean (828.4 kg) already exceeds the female maximum, and Britannica gives much higher maxima (1,930 kg and 1,180 kg).
• The shoulder-height and mass ranges run from the female mean to the male mean of a single small study (15-18 animals), not from the smallest to the largest adults.
• The San Diego Zoo library fact sheet treats giraffes as Giraffa spp. because giraffe taxonomy is debated; Britannica now recognises four species.
• The live Britannica page blocked automated access. Its figures were read from an Internet Archive snapshot (May 2026).
• The Giraffe Conservation Foundation facts page gives no overall height or weight figures, and the Smithsonian National Zoo has no giraffe page.

Sources

1. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Giraffe. Accessed 24 September 2026.
2. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, Giraffes (Giraffa spp.) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics. Accessed 24 September 2026.
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Giraffe. Accessed 24 September 2026.