---
title: "Elk vs grizzly bear — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on weight — about 1.2×. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/elk-vs-grizzly-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Elk vs Grizzly bear

**Elk vs grizzly bear: Elk is larger on weight**

Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on weight — about 1.2×.

An elk 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.*

|  | Elk | Grizzly bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 170–500 kg | 130–360 kg |
| Height | 1.3–1.5 m | 0.9–1.1 m |
| Length | 2–2.7 m | 1.7–2.4 m |
| Top speed | 72 km/h | 56 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 10–20 yr | 20–35 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on weight — about 1.2×.
- Elk is 1.5× grizzly bear on height.
- Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on length — about 1.2×.
- Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on top speed — about 1.3×.
- Grizzly bear is 1.7× elk on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Elk: 170–500 kg
- Grizzly bear: 130–360 kg

## Elk

The second-largest deer, whose bulls bugle in autumn and carry antlers over a metre long.

## 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, elk or grizzly bear?

Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on weight — about 1.2×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do elk and grizzly bears compare on height?

Elk: 1.3–1.5 m. Grizzly bear: 0.9–1.1 m. Elk is 1.5× grizzly bear on height.

### How do elk and grizzly bears compare on length?

Elk: 2–2.7 m. Grizzly bear: 1.7–2.4 m. Elk is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on length — about 1.2×.

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## Sources

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