A standard dining table is 28 to 30 inches tall, and most are 30. Size it by the number of seats, at about 24 inches of table edge per person: a 48-inch table seats 4, 60 to 72 inches seats 6, and 80 to 87 inches seats 8. Rectangular tables are usually 36 to 40 inches wide, and a round table 36 to 48 inches across seats 4.
Standard dining table sizes
West Elm and Bassett both size a table by its seats, allowing about 2 feet per person along the edge. Their numbers:
| Seats | Rectangle, length | Round, across |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 48 in | 36 to 48 in |
| 6 | 60 to 72 in | 54 to 60 in |
| 8 | 80 to 87 in | – |
| 10 | 92 to 108 in | – |
| 12 | 120 in | – |
Rectangle lengths from West Elm; Bassett gives at least 60 in for 4 to 6 and 78 in for 6 to 8. Rounds: 36 to 44 in for 4 (Bassett), 42 to 48 in for 4 and 60 in for 6 to 8 (West Elm), 54 in and up for 6 to 8 (Bassett). Rectangles are usually 36 to 40 in wide (Bassett); square tables for 4 are 36 to 44 in.
Round tables suit square rooms and small spaces, says West Elm, and can often fit an extra chair because there are no corners. Pedestal tables can too, with no legs in the way.
Standard dining table height
Most dining tables are 28 to 30 inches tall (Bassett), and West Elm says they're typically 30, the same height as most desks. Dining chair seats are usually 18 to 19 inches high (West Elm), which leaves about 11 to 12 inches between the seat and the tabletop for your legs.
- Standard height: 28–30 inches, for chairs with 18–19 inch seats.
- Counter height: 36 inches, the height of a kitchen counter or island (Bassett).
- Bar height: 42 inches, also called a pub table (Bassett).
If you want armchairs at the table, measure them first: West Elm warns they may not slide under a table with an apron, the frame just below the top. The same 30-inch height means a dining table can double as a desk; see desk dimensions.
14 real dining tables, measured
These are IKEA's sizes, with the number of seats IKEA lists for each table:
| Table | Size | Height | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA VIHALS, square | 29⅛ × 29⅛ in | 29½ in | 2 |
| IKEA DOCKSTA, round | 40½ in | 29½ in | 4 |
| IKEA LISABO, round | 41⅜ in | 29⅛ in | 4 |
| IKEA ROSENTORP, round, extends | 43¼ in, to 61 in long | 29½ in | 4–6 |
| IKEA MÖRBYLÅNGA, round | 57⅛ in | 29½ in | 6 |
| IKEA SANDSBERG | 43¼ × 26⅜ in | 29½ in | 4 |
| IKEA ÅLHULT | 47¼ × 31½ in | 29½ in | 4 |
| IKEA PINNTORP | 49¼ × 29½ in | 29½ in | 4 |
| IKEA TONSTAD | 59 × 31½ in | 29½ in | 4 |
| IKEA TARSELE, extends | 59–78¾ × 31½ in | 30⅜ in | 4–6 |
| IKEA SKANSNÄS, extends | 59–80¾ × 35⅜ in | 29½ in | 4–6 |
| IKEA LISABO | 78¾ × 30¾ in | 29⅛ in | 6–8 |
| IKEA SKOGSTA | 92½ × 39⅜ in | 29⅛ in | 6–8 |
| IKEA BERGSHYTTAN | 94½ × 36⅝ in | 29½ in | 6–8 |
From each table's product page at IKEA US. Round tables are given as the diameter; extending tables as their closed and open length.
Every one is 29⅛ to 30⅜ inches tall. IKEA's seat counts run a little smaller than the 2-feet-a-person rule: it lists the 59-inch TONSTAD for 4, where West Elm would seat 6 at 60 inches. Most IKEA tables are also narrower than Bassett's 36 to 40: the rectangles here run 26⅜ to 39⅜ inches wide.
An extending table is the small-room answer to the occasional dinner for six. Bassett's example: an 18-inch leaf turns a 48-inch round pedestal table into a 66-inch oval for 6. Measure for the open size before you buy.
How much room a dining table needs
The table is only part of it. West Elm allows 36 to 44 inches from the table to the wall on each side to pull out chairs, so a 48 × 36 in table for four needs a space about 10 by 9 feet. Our guide to space around a dining table covers when 32 inches will do and when you need 44, and a dining table in a small living room shows tables for 2, 4 or 6 in a shared room.
Questions
What is the standard dining table height?
28 to 30 inches (Bassett), and most are 30 (West Elm). All 14 IKEA tables above are 29⅛ to 30⅜ inches.
What size dining table seats 6?
A rectangle 60 to 72 inches long (West Elm), or a round table 54 to 60 inches across. Bassett gives at least 60 inches for 4 to 6 and 78 inches for 6 to 8.
What size dining table seats 4?
A 48-inch rectangle, a 36 to 44 inch square, or a round table 36 to 48 inches across (West Elm, Bassett).
How wide is a standard dining table?
Most rectangular tables are 36 to 40 inches wide (Bassett). Narrower tables, like IKEA's 26⅜-inch SANDSBERG, save floor in a small room.
What is the best dining table shape for a small space?
West Elm suggests a round table for square rooms and small spaces: no corners to walk around, and room for an extra chair. For two, a table pushed against a wall takes the least floor.
What is the difference between counter and bar height tables?
A counter-height table is 36 inches tall and a bar-height table 42 (Bassett), against 28 to 30 for a standard dining table.
Sources
- Tips to Decorate a Dining Room (West Elm): seats by table length and diameter; about 2 feet per person; tables typically 30″ high; chair seats 18–19″; 36–44″ from table to wall; round and pedestal tables
- The Complete Guide to Table Sizes (Bassett): standard height 28–30″, counter 36″, bar 42″; rectangles 36–40″ wide; square 36–44″; round sizes by seats; leaves
- Dining tables (IKEA US): product pages for the VIHALS, DOCKSTA, LISABO, ROSENTORP, MÖRBYLÅNGA, SANDSBERG, ÅLHULT, PINNTORP, TONSTAD, TARSELE, SKANSNÄS, SKOGSTA and BERGSHYTTAN