D&D Species Movement Speed Comparison (Official 5e Feet)
Compare 14 official D&D 5e species move speeds, from 25 ft dwarves and halflings to 30 ft humans and elves. SRD plus Player Handbook feet data here. See table.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Six squares. The 30 foot standard. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Human speed 30 ft |
| Elf Six squares. Ties human. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Elf speed 30 ft |
| Dwarf Five squares. Slow but never reduced by armor. | 25 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Dwarf speed 25 ft |
| Halfling Five squares. Ties dwarf and gnome. | 25 feet | PHB species, small | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Halfling speed 25 ft |
| Dragonborn Six squares. Heavy build, full speed. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Dragonborn speed 30 ft |
| Gnome Five squares. Small frame. | 25 feet | PHB species, small | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Gnome speed 25 ft |
| Half-Elf Six squares. Elf heritage pace. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Half-Elf speed 30 ft |
| Half-Orc Six squares. Ties half-elf. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Half-Orc speed 30 ft |
| Tiefling Six squares. Full 30 despite heritage. | 30 feet | PHB species, medium | D&D 5e SRD 5.1 / PHB ch. 2: Tiefling speed 30 ft |
| Aarakocra Walk 25, fly 50. Fastest in air here. | 25 feet | Elemental Evil, small, fly 50 | D&D 5e Elemental Evil / SRD: Aarakocra walk 25 ft, fly 50 ft |
| Tabaxi Six squares. Burst speed via Feline Agility. | 30 feet | Volo species, medium | Volo Guide to Monsters: Tabaxi speed 30 ft |
| Kenku Six squares. Ties tabaxi. | 30 feet | Volo species, medium | Volo Guide to Monsters: Kenku speed 30 ft |
| Lizardfolk Walk 30, swim 30. Equal on land and water. | 30 feet | Volo species, medium, swim 30 | Volo Guide to Monsters: Lizardfolk walk 30 ft, swim 30 ft |
| Triton Walk 30, swim 30. Sea heritage. | 30 feet | Volo species, medium, swim 30 | Volo Guide to Monsters: Triton walk 30 ft, swim 30 ft |
About this converter
Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition gives every species a walk speed in feet per combat round. Most medium species move 30 feet: human, elf, dragonborn, half-elf, half-orc, tiefling and several others. Small species move 25 feet: dwarf, halfling and gnome. A 5 foot square equals one grid square, so 30 feet is six squares and 25 feet is five squares. A round lasts six seconds, so 30 feet per round is about 3.4 miles per hour at a steady walk. Fly, climb and swim speeds are listed in notes where the rules grant them.
How to use it
Pick two species and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first species move, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the distance in feet, squares or meters. Try 1 human move against dwarf moves to see the 30 against 25 gap.
Speeds come from the System Reference Document 5.1 and the Player Handbook species tables. Aarakocra walk 25 but fly 50, which the note records. Triton and lizardfolk add swim speeds, also noted. The 2024 Player Handbook keeps the same walk values for returning species. Difficult terrain halves movement and climbing or swimming costs extra unless the creature has that speed type.
FAQ
What is the standard move speed?
30 feet for most medium species, 25 feet for dwarf, halfling and gnome. One square is 5 feet.
Which species flies the fastest?
Aarakocra fly 50 feet with a walk of 25. No other species here flies by default.
Who swims at full speed?
Lizardfolk and triton swim 30 feet. Others swim at half speed unless noted.
How long is a round?
Six seconds per round. So 30 feet per round is 300 feet per minute at combat pace.
Sources
- D&D 5e System Reference Document 5.1 (Wizards of the Coast): speed, travel pace, difficult terrain
- D&D 5e Player Handbook ch. 2 (2014/2024): dwarf 25, elf 30, halfling 25, human 30, dragonborn 30, gnome 25
- Volo Guide to Monsters / Elemental Evil Companion: tabaxi, kenku, lizardfolk, triton, aarakocra speeds
Last verified: 2026-09-30 · 14 entries
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