---
title: "American black bear vs grizzly bear — size, weight and speed c"
description: "Grizzly bear is 2.1× American black bear on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-black-bear-vs-grizzly-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American black bear vs Grizzly bear

**American black bear vs grizzly bear: Grizzly bear is larger on weight**

Grizzly bear is 2.1× American black bear on weight.

An American black bear and a grizzly bear can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | American black bear | Grizzly bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 40–280 kg | 130–360 kg |
| Height | 0.7–1 m | 0.9–1.1 m |
| Length | 1.2–2 m | 1.7–2.4 m |
| Top speed | 48 km/h | 56 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 18–30 yr | 20–35 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Grizzly bear is 2.1× American black bear on weight.
- Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on height — about 1.1×.
- Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on length — about 1.3×.
- Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on top speed — about 1.2×.
- Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on typical lifespan — about 1.3×.

*Weight compared.*

- Grizzly bear: 130–360 kg
- American black bear: 40–280 kg

## American black bear

North America's most common bear, and the one most people actually encounter.

## Grizzly bear

The inland North American brown bear, smaller than coastal populations because it eats less salmon.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, American black bear or grizzly bear?

Grizzly bear is 2.1× American black bear on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do American black bears and grizzly bears compare on height?

American black bear: 0.7–1 m. Grizzly bear: 0.9–1.1 m. Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on height — about 1.1×.

### How do American black bears and grizzly bears compare on length?

American black bear: 1.2–2 m. Grizzly bear: 1.7–2.4 m. Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than American black bear on length — about 1.3×.

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## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)