Random Height Generator

Press Generate height and you get a single random human height, displayed both ways: feet and inches, and the equivalent in centimeters. The range runs from about 4 feet 5 inches (135 cm) up to 6 feet 11 inches (211 cm), which covers almost every adult you'll meet plus a few basketball players. That's the whole tool. There are no settings, no gender option and no weight; it's a height picker for when you need a number and don't want to be the one choosing it.

How the number is chosen

The generator first picks 4, 5 or 6 feet with equal probability, then picks the inches. For 4 feet the inches start at 5, so you won't get anyone shorter than 4'5"; for 5 and 6 feet any inch value is possible. The centimeter figure is calculated from the feet-and-inches result (feet × 30.48 plus inches × 2.54) and rounded to the nearest whole centimeter, so the two values always agree.

Because each foot band is equally likely, results are spread evenly rather than clustered around a real-world average. Roughly a third of results will be in the 6-foot range, which is far more than in any actual population, where the average adult is about 5'4" for women and 5'9" for men in the US. If you want realistic distributions for a crowd of characters, generate several and drop the outliers. If you want a tall protagonist, one click will probably do it.

What you see

One card with three numbers: feet, inches and centimeters. Press the button again for a new height; the previous one is replaced, so jot it down if you want to keep it. Note that the site's height randomizer occasionally produces an "inches" value of 12 in the 4-foot band, which is the same as 5'0"; treat it that way if it comes up.

Where a random height is useful

• Character sheets. Tabletop games and original characters need a height that isn't always six feet even. Roll here, then fill the rest of the sheet with the Random Eye Color Generator, Random Hair Color Generator and Random Job Generator.
• Writing prompts. Drawing a 4'7" detective or a 6'10" florist changes how you write them. The randomness pushes you off the default.
• Unit conversion practice. Generate a height, cover the centimeter value, and convert it yourself. The tool's answer is the check.
• Placeholder data. A quick value for a form field, a mockup or a spreadsheet row that needs a plausible height.
• Party games. Guess who in the room is closest to the generated height, then measure.

Feet-and-inches to centimeters, at a glance

A few reference points inside the generator's range, using the same conversion the tool applies:

For more character-trait pickers, from superpowers to emotions, see all people and character generators.