Shower Curtain Size: The Lengths and Rod Heights That Fit

Shower curtain size looks like a one number decision until the curtain arrives. Then the liner pools on the floor, the hem stops four inches short of the tub rim, and water finds the gap at the wall every single time you shower.

The reason this goes wrong so often is that three separate measurements are involved and most people only check one. There is the curtain, there is the liner, and there is the rod height, and changing any one of them changes what the other two need to be. Get the order right and the whole thing takes five minutes.

The Sizes You Are Choosing Between

Four sizes cover nearly every bathroom. Wayfair notes that the standard curtain is 72 by 72 inches, which fits around a 60 inch tub with roughly 12 inches of extra coverage, and that extra long runs 72 by 96 inches for walk in showers and high ceilings. Their size guide also lists the narrow stall size.

• Standard, 72 by 72 inches. The default. Width first, length second, so this is 72 inches wide and 72 inches long. Correct for a normal 60 inch alcove tub with a rod at standard height.
• Stall, 54 by 78 inches. Narrower and longer. Built for a small corner or stall shower where a 72 inch curtain would bunch badly.
• Long, 72 by 84 inches. The one to buy when you raise the rod. An extra foot of length covers a rod moved up toward the ceiling.
• Extra long, 72 by 96 inches. For a ceiling mounted rod, a tall walk in, or a bathroom with ceilings well above 8 feet.

Notice that the width stays at 72 inches across three of those four. Width is the measurement people worry about and it is almost never the problem. Length is where the money gets wasted.

The Width Rule: Measure the Opening, Then Add 12 Inches

Width is simple. Measure wall to wall across the opening your curtain has to cover, then add about 12 inches. That extra fabric is what creates the folds, and the folds are what let the curtain close without being stretched flat.

A flat curtain is a leaking curtain. With no slack it cannot tuck inward at the ends, so water runs down the fabric and straight out past the tub rim. This is the single most common cause of a wet bathroom floor, and it is usually blamed on the liner when the real problem is that the curtain is too narrow for the opening.

A standard alcove tub is 60 inches long, which is why 72 inches is the standard width. If your opening is wider than 60 inches, say a 66 inch tub or a wide walk in, you want two panels rather than one oversized curtain. One 90 inch panel hangs awkwardly and will not pull back cleanly to one side. If you are not sure what your tub actually measures, our guide to standard bathtub sizes lists the common lengths.

Rod Height Decides the Length You Need

This is the part that gets skipped. The curtain length you need is not a property of the bathroom. It is a consequence of where you put the rod.

A standard rod sits roughly 75 to 77 inches off the floor, which is a few inches above a standard 72 inch curtain plus its rings. That combination is why 72 by 72 works out of the box in most bathrooms.

Now here is the design move worth knowing. Raising the rod makes a bathroom look taller, in exactly the way raising a curtain rod does in a bedroom. Mount it at 84 inches, or run it right up near the ceiling, and the vertical line of the curtain stretches the whole wall. It is the cheapest visual upgrade in a small bathroom and it is the same principle covered in our guide to how high to hang curtains.

The catch is that it only works if you buy the length to match. A 72 inch curtain on an 84 inch rod leaves a foot of bare tile above the tub, which looks worse than the original. So the pairing is:

• Rod at 75 to 77 inches, use a 72 inch curtain.
• Rod at around 84 inches, use an 84 inch curtain.
• Rod mounted at or near the ceiling, use a 96 inch curtain.

One practical limit. Your shower head has to clear the rod, and a raised rod sometimes ends up below a high mounted head. Check that before you drill, and if the head itself needs attention our guide to shower head height covers the usual mounting range.

The Liner Is a Different Measurement Entirely

Most people buy a liner the same size as the curtain and assume that is correct. It usually is not, and the reason is where each one is supposed to end.

The decorative curtain hangs outside the tub and should sit clear of the floor. Wayfair recommends at least 1 to 2 inches off the floor to stop it pooling and growing mould. The liner hangs inside the tub, in the water, and should extend well below the tub rim so water running down it lands in the tub. Wayfair suggests a liner that reaches roughly 5 to 6 inches below the top of the tub.

Those are two different endpoints, so the two panels often want slightly different lengths. In practice this gives you three workable setups:

• Same length, liner tucked in. Buy both at 72 inches, hang them on the same rings, and tuck the liner inside the tub every time. Simplest, and it works as long as you remember the tuck.
• Liner slightly shorter. A liner an inch or two shorter than the curtain stays inside the tub more willingly and dries faster. Best option for a daily use shower.
• Two rods. A double rod lets the liner hang inside and the curtain hang outside with no interference. Worth it if you have a curved rod or a heavy fabric curtain.

Whatever you choose, the liner should never touch the floor. A liner resting on tile wicks water out of the tub by capillary action, which produces a permanently damp patch that no amount of cleaning fixes.

Curved and Tension Rods Change the Numbers

A curved rod bows outward over the tub and buys real elbow room, which is the main reason hotels use them. It also increases the distance the curtain has to travel, so a curved rod usually wants a wider curtain than the flat opening suggests. Add the 12 inches as normal, then check that the panel still closes with slack once the rod is installed and bowed.

Tension rods are the other variable. They hold by friction against two walls, which makes them fine for a light liner and a light fabric curtain and unreliable for a heavy one. A tension rod also cannot be mounted high in most bathrooms, because the friction grip needs a flat parallel surface on both sides and tile walls often stop part way up. If you want the raised rod look, plan on a mounted rod with brackets.

Before You Order, Take These Four Numbers

• Wall to wall across the opening. Add 12 inches. That is your curtain width.
• Floor to the rod position you want. Subtract about 4 inches for rings and clearance. That is roughly your curtain length, rounded to the nearest stock size.
• Floor to the top of the tub rim. Add 5 to 6 inches and measure from the rod down to confirm the liner reaches past that point.
• Floor to the shower head. Confirm the rod will sit above it, or that the head clears the rings.

If the numbers put you between two stock sizes, go longer rather than shorter. A curtain that is slightly long can be raised on the rod or hemmed. One that is short cannot be fixed at all.

Hardware is the last thing to place, and the bathroom looks far more finished when the rod, the towel bar and the ring all sit on a deliberate line rather than wherever the previous owner drilled. Our guide to towel bar height covers where the rest of it belongs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the standard shower curtain size?

72 by 72 inches, meaning 72 inches wide and 72 inches long. That fits a standard 60 inch alcove tub with about 12 inches of extra width for folds, paired with a rod at roughly 75 to 77 inches off the floor.

How do I know if I need an extra long shower curtain?

Measure from your rod position down to a point 2 inches above the floor. If that distance is more than about 72 inches, you need a longer curtain. In practice that means anyone mounting a rod at 84 inches or higher, which includes most ceiling mounted installations.

Should the shower curtain and liner be the same length?

They can be, but the liner should end up hanging inside the tub and reaching roughly 5 to 6 inches below the rim, while the curtain hangs outside and stays 1 to 2 inches off the floor. A liner an inch or two shorter than the curtain makes that easier to achieve without tucking.

Why does water still get out with the right size curtain?

Usually because the liner is outside the tub rather than inside, or because the curtain is stretched flat with no slack. Both problems let water run down the fabric and past the rim. A curved rod makes the tuck easier to maintain because the fabric naturally falls inward at the ends.

What size curtain do I need for a stall shower?

54 by 78 inches is the common stall size, narrower and longer than standard. Measure your opening first and add 12 inches. If your opening is under about 42 inches, a 72 inch curtain will bunch so heavily that it blocks the entry.

The Short Version

Opening plus 12 inches gives you the width. The rod height gives you the length. The tub rim gives you the liner length. Decide where the rod goes first, because raising it is the cheapest way to make a small bathroom feel taller, and then buy the curtain that matches instead of the one that was on the shelf.