height

The height CSS property specifies the height of an element. By default, the property defines the height of the content area. If box-sizing is set to border-box, however, it instead determines the height of the border area.

Try it

The min-height and max-height properties override height.

Syntax

css
/* <length> values */
height: 120px;
height: 10em;
height: 100vh;

/* <percentage> value */
height: 75%;

/* Keyword values */
height: max-content;
height: min-content;
height: fit-content;
height: fit-content(20em);
height: auto;

/* Global values */
height: inherit;
height: initial;
height: revert;
height: revert-layer;
height: unset;

Values

<length>

Defines the height as a distance value.

<percentage>

Defines the height as a percentage of the containing block's height.

auto

The browser will calculate and select a height for the specified element.

max-content

The intrinsic preferred height.

min-content

The intrinsic minimum height.

fit-content

Use the available space, but not more than max-content, i.e min(max-content, max(min-content, stretch)).

fit-content(<length-percentage>)

Uses the fit-content formula with the available space replaced by the specified argument, i.e. min(max-content, max(min-content, <length-percentage>)).

clamp()

Enables selecting a middle value within a range of values between a defined minimum and maximum.

Accessibility concerns

Ensure that elements set with a height aren't truncated and/or don't obscure other content when the page is zoomed to increase text size.

Formal definition

Initial valueauto
Applies toall elements but non-replaced inline elements, table columns, and column groups
Inheritedno
PercentagesThe percentage is calculated with respect to the height of the generated box's containing block. If the height of the containing block is not specified explicitly (i.e., it depends on content height), and this element is not absolutely positioned, the value computes to auto. A percentage height on the root element is relative to the initial containing block.
Computed valuea percentage or auto or the absolute length
Animation typea length, percentage or calc();

Formal syntax

height = 
  auto                                      |
  <length-percentage [0,∞]>                 |
  min-content                               |
  max-content                               |
  fit-content( <length-percentage [0,∞]> )  

<length-percentage> = 
  <length>      |
  <percentage>

Examples

Setting height using pixels and percentages

HTML

html
<div id="taller">I'm 50 pixels tall.</div>
<div id="shorter">I'm 25 pixels tall.</div>
<div id="parent">
  <div id="child">I'm half the height of my parent.</div>
</div>

CSS

css
div {
  width: 250px;
  margin-bottom: 5px;
  border: 2px solid blue;
}

#taller {
  height: 50px;
}

#shorter {
  height: 25px;
}

#parent {
  height: 100px;
}

#child {
  height: 50%;
  width: 75%;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Box Sizing Module Level 3
# preferred-size-properties
CSS Box Sizing Module Level 4
# sizing-values

Browser compatibility

Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
height
auto
fit-content
fit-content()
Experimental
max-content
min-content
stretch

See also