W3cubDocs

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.

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

Syntax

/* Keyword value */
height: auto;

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

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

/* Global values */
height: inherit;
height: initial;
height: unset;

Values

<length>

Defines the height as an absolute value.

<percentage>

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

border-box

If present, the preceding <length> or <percentage> is applied to the element's border box.

content-box

If present, the preceding <length> or <percentage> is applied to the element's content box.

auto

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

fill

Use the fill-available inline size or fill-available block size, as appropriate to the writing mode.

max-content

The intrinsic preferred height.

min-content

The intrinsic minimum height.

available

The containing block height minus vertical margin, border and padding.

fit-content

The larger of:

the intrinsic minimum height
the smaller of the intrinsic preferred height and the available height

Formal syntax

[ <length> | <percentage> ] && [ border-box | content-box ]? | available | min-content | max-content | fit-content | auto

Example

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

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

Accessibility concerns

Ensure that elements set with a height are not truncated and/or do not obscure other content when the page is zoomed to increase text size.

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Basic Box Model The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Added the `max-content`, `min-content`, `available`, `fit-content`, `border-box`, `content-box` keywords.
CSS Transitions The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Lists `height` as animatable.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Recommendation	Adds support for the `<length>` values and precises on which element it applies to.
CSS Level 1 The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Recommendation	Initial definition.
CSS Intrinsic & Extrinsic Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'width' in that specification.	Working Draft	Adds new sizing keywords for width and height.

Initial value	`auto`
Applies to	all elements but non-replaced inline elements, table columns, and column groups
Inherited	no
Percentages	The 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.
Media	visual
Computed value	a percentage or `auto` or the absolute length
Animation type	a length, percentage or calc();
Canonical order	the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari
Basic support	1	12	1	4	7	1
`fill`	46	?	?	?	?	?
`fit-content`	46	?	?	?	?	?
`max-content`	46	?	?	?	?	?
`min-content`	46	?	?	?	?	?

	Mobile
	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Edge Mobile	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	iOS Safari	Samsung Internet
Basic support	1	18	Yes	4	1	1	Yes
`fill`	46	46	?	?	?	?	5.0
`fit-content`	46	46	?	?	?	?	5.0
`max-content`	46	46	?	?	?	?	5.0
`min-content`	46	46	?	?	?	?	5.0