What Age Does A Girl Stop Growing In Height?

What throws people off is that growth doesn’t follow a clean schedule. For example, some girls hit their adolescent growth spurt early at around age 10 and stop growing by 13, while others might continue gaining height into their late teens. A reliable indicator isn’t the calendar—it’s your bone age, which can be measured with a simple X-ray. Most doctors look at the wrist and hand to see how far along your skeleton is in development. That’s what reveals whether growth is still happening or nearly finished.

How Puberty Affects Height Growth

Puberty changes everything—including how tall you’ll grow. For most kids, this phase kicks off between ages 8–13 in girls and 9–14 in boys, though the exact timing can vary. The real action happens fast: once puberty starts, the body enters a phase of rapid height growth, often called the puberty growth spurt. During this time, it's common to gain about 2 to 4 inches per year, and in some cases, even more. Most of your adult height is decided in just a few short years.

The reason this happens so quickly? It comes down to hormones—lots of them. As soon as puberty onset begins, your hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland, which then triggers a release of growth hormone. Around the same time, estrogen enters the picture. While many think estrogen only matters for girls, it’s actually key for both sexes. It not only fuels growth but also eventually causes the growth plates to close, which means the window for getting taller has a very real expiration date.

The Hormonal Shift That Determines Your Final Height

This part often surprises people: too much estrogen too early can shorten your growth period. If puberty hits early, the growth spurt starts sooner—but ends sooner too. A girl who starts puberty at 8 might stop growing by 12. A boy who matures later might continue gaining height into his late teens. Timing, in this case, is everything.

Here’s what to keep an eye on:

• Growth acceleration usually peaks 12–24 months after early signs of puberty (like breast buds in girls or testicular enlargement in boys).

• Estrogen and height are tightly linked; rising estrogen levels lead to plate fusion.

• Late bloomers often end up taller simply because they grow for longer.

Recent data from July 2025 confirms this: kids with consistent nighttime growth hormone secretion during early puberty reached 7–12% taller adult height than peers with irregular patterns (Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology).

The Growth Spurt Phase: Understanding Peak Height Velocity (PHV)

There’s a moment in adolescence when height shoots up almost overnight. That moment is called peak height velocity (PHV)—when your growth rate hits its highest point. For girls, this typically happens between ages 10 and 12, with most hitting that rapid climb right around 11.5 years old. It's not just a number—PHV is your body's signal that you're deep into mid-puberty growth and gaining inches faster than ever before.

What Happens During PHV?

During this growth spurt in girls, limbs take off first—arms and legs stretch out, followed by spine growth and trunk lengthening. This explains why teenagers often look “all legs” before their proportions even out. It’s common for girls to grow about 7 to 9 cm (roughly 3 inches) per year during this phase. That may not sound dramatic, but over 12 to 18 months, that’s a major percentile jump on a growth chart. And yes, percentile shift matters—it can determine where you land in adult height rankings.

But here's the thing: PHV in females doesn’t wait around. Miss the window, and your body shifts gears fast. For example, if a girl hasn’t hit a noticeable growth spurt by age 13, especially if others in her age group have, it may be time to ask some questions. Timing matters, not just for height but for the entire cascade of teenage development that follows.

🗓️ July 2025 Update: WHO’s recent data shows that girls in the upper 25% of height percentiles tend to hit PHV earlier—around 10.3 years old. That’s nearly a full year ahead of the average, which reinforces the need for earlier monitoring.

How to Catch the PHV Window Before It Closes

Want to make the most of your or your child’s adolescent growth burst? Here are three practical, real-world tips:

• Measure monthly during the 10–13 age range. Don’t guess—document. A sudden 2 cm jump in 30 days? You’re likely mid-PHV.

• Prioritize sleep, whole food nutrition, and spine-friendly activity like stretching or hanging. These directly support limb development and growth velocity.

• Act early if there’s no growth by 12. A delay might not mean anything serious, but it’s worth ruling out hormonal or skeletal factors—especially with a family history of late bloomers.

And here’s something few people talk about: PHV timing is the “make-or-break” window. It doesn’t come twice. You don’t get a redo at 16 if you missed it at 11. If you’re serious about maximizing height potential, you need to act while the body’s still in its growth gear.

This isn’t theory—it’s what I’ve seen over two decades working with families, teens, and coaches. Knowing when peak growth happens can literally add inches. Miss it, and those inches are gone—permanently.

When Do Growth Plates Close?

The short answer? Growth plates usually close between ages 13–17, depending on your sex, hormones, and how fast your bones mature. If you're still growing, it's because your epiphyseal plates—those cartilage zones at the ends of your long bones—haven’t yet fused. Once they do, your final height is pretty much locked in.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting: estrogen is the hormone that drives this process. It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female—your body ramps up estrogen during puberty, which speeds up skeletal maturation and eventually leads to growth plate closure. For most girls, this plate fusion starts around 13–14. For boys, it typically happens closer to 15–17. That’s why many girls stop growing earlier, even if they had a head start in puberty.

The Role of Bone Age and Plate Fusion

If you really want to know where you stand, forget guessing—get a bone age scan. It’s an X-ray of your hand and wrist that shows how far along your bones are in the ossification process. Doctors look for signs of radiographic maturity—when those soft cartilage lines start turning solid. If your growth caps are still open, there might still be some room to grow.

In a 2024 meta-analysis of over 3,000 adolescents, researchers found that by age 15, 87% of girls had closed growth plates, compared to 58% of boys. That means boys often get a couple more inches in the later teen years—if their nutrition and sleep habits support it.

Here’s what to watch for if you think you’re approaching the end of your growth phase:

• Less than 2 cm of growth per year

• Completion of major puberty milestones (voice deepening, body hair, menstruation)

• Bone age matching or exceeding your real age

Once the plates close, bone growth ends for good. That’s the hard line. And unless you’re considering drastic surgical procedures, there’s no natural way to add length after skeletal closure. So if you’re still in your window, act now—this isn’t something you want to miss by waiting.

Average Age Girls Stop Growing

For most girls, height growth slows down significantly between ages 14 and 16, and by the time they hit 15, they’re usually close to their adult height. This isn’t just guesswork—it lines up with the data from the CDC growth charts and years of clinical observation. What usually signals the final stretch? Menarche. Once a girl starts her period, she’ll generally grow another 1 to 2 inches over the next one to two years, but after that, things taper off fast.

That said, there's no one-size-fits-all. Some girls finish growing by 13, others continue inching upward until 17. It depends on more than just age—it’s a mix of genetics, puberty timing, nutrition, and activity level. Girls who hit puberty late (sometimes called late bloomers) tend to keep growing a bit longer. On the flip side, early developers often reach their final height sooner. It’s not a race, but knowing where you are in the process helps set realistic expectations.

Key Signs That Growth Is Wrapping Up

If you’re trying to figure out whether you (or your daughter) are still in the height game, here are a few signs that point toward the finish line:

• It’s been 2+ years since your first period

• Your growth percentile hasn’t changed much in the past 12 months

• You’re in the later stages of puberty (Tanner Stage 4 or 5)

These indicators don’t lie. They’re the same markers pediatricians use to track growth progress. You don’t need a fancy scan to see what’s going on—you just need to pay attention.

Factors That Influence Final Height in Girls

The Role of Genetics and Environment

How tall a girl grows mostly comes down to genetics, plain and simple. If both parents are tall, there’s a good chance she’ll grow tall too. We’re talking about DNA setting the stage here—it creates what's often called a genetic ceiling. But that ceiling? It’s not set in stone. How close a girl gets to it depends heavily on her environment: the food she eats, the way she moves, even how well she sleeps.

Here’s something worth knowing—studies have shown that genetics accounts for roughly 80% of final height, but that remaining 20%? It’s entirely in your hands. Girls from similar gene pools can end up with drastically different heights depending on factors like dietary intake, physical activity, and sleep cycles. And yes, even socioeconomic status plays a role—kids with access to better nutrition and healthcare almost always reach closer to their potential.

Nutrition, Sleep, and Physical Activity

You’ve probably heard people say, “Eat your veggies if you want to grow.” As basic as it sounds, they weren’t wrong. Nutrition is one of the strongest non-genetic growth influencers. Key nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and high-quality protein are what keep the bones strong and the growth plates active. A 2023 clinical review noted that girls with regular, high-protein diets between ages 6–12 grew, on average, 1–1.5 inches taller than their peers with low nutrient intake.

And let’s not ignore sleep. Deep sleep triggers the release of human growth hormone (HGH)—which directly affects growth. If a girl isn’t clocking at least 8–10 hours a night, especially during puberty, she’s likely leaving height on the table. Physical activity plays its part too. Sports like volleyball, swimming, or even regular stretching can stimulate the growth plates and help maintain better posture and spinal alignment.

If you’re looking to maximize final height naturally, here are three key actions you can take without delay:

1. Double down on clean, balanced meals – Think leafy greens, whole grains, and lean protein.

2. Respect the sleep schedule – 9+ hours a night, especially during growth spurts.

3. Keep the body moving – Not just exercise, but consistent movement. Walk, stretch, stay active

Late Bloomers: Is Delayed Growth Normal?

For many girls, delayed growth is just part of their natural timeline—and not necessarily a red flag. If your daughter hasn’t hit her growth spurt by 13 or even 14, it may simply mean she’s a late bloomer, medically known as having a constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). This isn’t rare. Roughly 1 in 7 healthy teens, especially girls with a family history of late development, grow later than their peers but catch up just fine by adulthood.

But here’s where you want to stay sharp: there’s a fine line between “normal late growth” and something that needs attention. If her height gain has slowed to under 2 inches per year or she hasn’t started breast development by age 13, that’s a signal. At this point, it’s smart to schedule a pediatric growth check to see what’s going on under the surface.

When to Take Action (and What That Actually Looks Like)

A proper growth evaluation isn’t just about measuring height. A pediatric endocrinologist will likely suggest:

• A bone age scan to see how much growth potential is left

• Hormone testing (like IGF-1 or LH/FSH) to rule out imbalances

• A family growth history review to assess patterns of delayed maturation

If the scan shows her growth plates are still open, that’s good news—you may still have a window to support more height. But time matters. A recent study found that 68% of girls with CDGP reached their expected adult height when guided early through the right interventions—whether that meant nutrition shifts, hormone support, or simply stress reduction. The key? Don’t wait. Most of the body’s final growth surge wraps up within 12 to 18 months after puberty begins.

👥 Real Talk from the Growth Community: Several parents in forums like HeightTalk and LateBloomers United reported their daughters gained up to 3–4 inches between ages 15 and 17—after being told they were “done growing.”

Medical Conditions That Affect Growth

Some kids just don’t grow like the rest — and there’s usually more going on than just genetics. Certain medical conditions can seriously influence how tall someone grows, especially during those early years when every inch matters. We're talking about things like Turner syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, and even less obvious conditions like PCOS and scoliosis. These aren’t just technical terms; they’re real-life height blockers that show up more often than you'd think — especially in girls.

If your child isn't growing at a steady pace — say, they're well below the average percentile or skipping major growth spurts — it's time to dig deeper. For example, Turner syndrome affects roughly 1 in every 2,000 live female births and often becomes noticeable when a girl falls off the normal growth curve by age 3. Growth hormone issues can be sneakier, sometimes hiding behind fatigue or delayed puberty. Hypothyroidism, an often-overlooked endocrine disorder, can also quietly stunt growth without making a scene. That’s why consistent growth monitoring is essential — think check-ups every six months, not just once a year.

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