Measure your table and choose how far the cloth should hang. You get the standard tablecloth size to buy, and the table runner.
Tablecloth to buy
60 × 102″ tablecloth15″ drop on every side · for a 30 × 72″ table
Quick answer: a tablecloth is your table plus the drop on each side: 6–8 inches for everyday, 10–15 inches for a formal table, or the table’s height (about 30 inches) to reach the floor. A 6-foot table (30 × 72″) takes a 60 × 102″ tablecloth for a 15″ drop or 90 × 132″ to the floor; a 60″ round table takes an 84″ round, or 120″ to the floor. The calculator above finds the standard size for your table, plus the runner.
How to use the tablecloth size calculator
- Pick your table: tap a common one (6 ft, 8 ft, 48″ or 60″ round), or choose the shape and type its size.
- Measure the top, not the legs: the length and width of a rectangle or oval, the diameter of a round, one side of a square.
- Choose the drop. Casual for everyday meals, formal for dinners and holidays, to the floor for events and buffet tables. For the floor, check the table’s height.
- Read what to buy: the standard tablecloth size, how far it really hangs on each side, the exact size if you are sewing one, and the runner length.
The rules the calculator uses
How to work out tablecloth size
Add the drop twice to each measurement, once for each side. A 30 × 72″ table with a 15″ drop needs 30 + 30 = 60″ by 72 + 30 = 102″. For a round table, add twice the drop to the diameter: a 60″ round with a 12″ drop needs an 84″ round cloth.
How far a tablecloth should hang
Casual: 6–8 inches, which clears laps and looks tidy every day. Formal: 10–15 inches; 15 inches reaches about seat height and is called “lap length”. To the floor: the drop equals the table’s height, usually 29–30 inches, the look for buffets, weddings and banquet tables. The calculator aims at 8″, 12″ and the table height, and never picks a cloth more than an inch shorter than the range you chose.
Standard tablecloth sizes
Tablecloths are sold in set sizes: squares of 52, 60, 70, 85 and 90 inches; oblongs from 52 × 70″ to 90 × 156″ (60 × 84″, 60 × 102″ and 60 × 120″ are the most common); and rounds of 60, 70, 84, 90, 108, 120 and 132 inches. The calculator picks the one whose drop lands closest to your aim on every side, and tells you the exact drops, which are rarely identical on a narrow table.
Table runner size
A runner should hang 6–12 inches over each end, so its length is the table’s length plus 12–24 inches. Runners come in 54, 72, 90, 108, 120 and 144-inch lengths. It should be about a third of the table’s width wide: 12–14 inches on most tables.
Tablecloth size chart: rectangle tables
| Table | Casual (6–8″) | Formal (10–15″) | To the floor | Runner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 48″ (4 ft) | 52 × 70″ | 52 × 70″ | 90 × 108″ (custom) | 72″ |
| 30 × 72″ (6 ft) | 60 × 90″ | 60 × 102″ | 90 × 132″ | 90″ |
| 30 × 96″ (8 ft) | 60 × 108″ | 60 × 120″ | 90 × 156″ | 108″ |
| 36 × 60″ | 52 × 70″ | 60 × 84″ | 96 × 120″ (custom) | 72″ |
| 40 × 72″ | 60 × 90″ | 60 × 102″ | 100 × 132″ (custom) | 90″ |
| 42 × 84″ | 60 × 102″ | 70 × 108″ | 102 × 144″ (custom) | 108″ |
Tablecloth size chart: round tables
| Round table | Casual (6–8″) | Formal (10–15″) | To the floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36″ | 60″ | 60″ | 96″ (custom) |
| 48″ (seats 4–6) | 60″ | 70″ | 108″ |
| 54″ | 70″ | 84″ | 114″ (custom) |
| 60″ (seats 6–8) | 70″ | 84″ | 120″ |
| 72″ (seats 8–10) | 90″ | 90″ | 132″ |
“Custom” means no standard size reaches the floor on that table; the size shown is the one to have made.
Three worked examples
A 6-foot folding table for Thanksgiving. The table is 30 × 72″. For a formal 15″ drop, buy a 60 × 102″ tablecloth; to cover the legs to the floor, a 90 × 132″. A 90″ runner hangs 9″ over each end.
A 60″ round table for eight. An 84″ round tablecloth drops 12″ all around; a 120″ round reaches the floor. A 70″ square cloth also works: it hangs 5″ at the middle of each side and about 19½″ at the corners.
An oval 42 × 84″ dining table, dressed up. A 70 × 108″ oval tablecloth hangs 14″ at the sides and 12″ at the ends. A 14 × 108″ runner hangs 12″ over each end.
Common tablecloth mistakes
- Buying by the table’s name. “Seats 6” can mean a 60″ or a 72″ table, and a 6-foot table is only 30″ wide. Measure the top.
- Forgetting the drop is on both sides. A 12″ drop adds 24″ to each measurement, not 12″.
- A floor-length cloth on a dining table. It looks elegant on a buffet, but guests’ knees push it around all dinner. Use 10–15″ where people sit.
- Ignoring shrinkage. Cotton and linen can shrink a few percent in the first wash. Buy the next size up if it is on the edge, or check the label.
- A runner that stops short. A runner a few inches shorter than the table looks like a mistake; either let it hang 6–12″ over each end or keep it clearly shorter, centered.
Setting up for a crowd? Lay out the tables and chairs in the free 2D room planner before anyone arrives.
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Tablecloth size questions
What size tablecloth for a 6 foot table?
A 6-foot table is usually 30 × 72 inches. A 60 × 102″ tablecloth hangs 15 inches on every side, the classic lap length; a 60 × 90″ is shorter at the ends; a 90 × 132″ reaches the floor on a standard 30-inch-high table.
What size tablecloth for an 8 foot table?
An 8-foot table is usually 30 × 96 inches. A 60 × 120″ tablecloth hangs 15 inches at the sides and 12 at the ends, a 60 × 108″ is the casual choice, and a 90 × 156″ reaches the floor all around.
What size tablecloth for a 60 inch round table?
An 84-inch round tablecloth gives a 12-inch drop, a 90-inch round a 15-inch drop, and a 120-inch round reaches the floor on a 30-inch-high table. For a shorter everyday look, a 70-inch round hangs 5 inches.
What are the standard tablecloth sizes?
Squares are sold at 52, 60, 70, 85 and 90 inches. Oblongs run from 52 × 70″ to 90 × 156″, with 60 × 84″, 60 × 102″ and 60 × 120″ the most common. Rounds come in 60, 70, 84, 90, 108, 120 and 132 inches.
How long should a tablecloth hang?
6 to 8 inches for everyday meals, 10 to 15 inches for formal dinners, and the full table height, about 30 inches, for buffets and events where the cloth should reach the floor. Measure from the table’s edge straight down.
What size table runner do I need?
Take the table’s length and add 12 to 24 inches, so the runner hangs 6 to 12 inches over each end: a 72-inch table takes a 90-inch runner, an 84-inch table a 108-inch one. Make it about a third of the table’s width wide, usually 12 to 14 inches.
Can you put a square tablecloth on a round table?
Yes, and it is a pretty look. The cloth drops (side − diameter) ÷ 2 at the middle of each side and more at the corners. A 70-inch square on a 60-inch round hangs 5 inches at the sides and about 19½ inches at the four corners.