height - CSS: Cascading Style Sheets

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

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

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

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

/* 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 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(<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>)).

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 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.
Computed value	a percentage or `auto` or the absolute length
Animation type	a length, percentage or calc();

Formal syntax

auto | <length> | <percentage> | min-content | max-content | fit-content(<length-percentage>)where <length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>

Examples

Setting height using pixels and percentages

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

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Box Sizing Module Level 4 The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Editor's Draft
CSS Box Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Added the `max-content`, `min-content`, `fit-content` keywords.
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.

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser