How fast are crocodiles? On land, most crocodiles top out at about 10 to 11 mph (15 to 18 km/h), and only in short dashes. In water, Australian wildlife officers put their swimming burst at about 12 mph (20 km/h). Over long trips, however, they cruise at roughly 1 km/h or less, often by riding currents.
In other words, a crocodile is an ambush hunter, not a long-distance athlete. First it waits, and then it lunges and sprints for a few seconds. For example, at 17 km/h (10.56 mph), a crocodile covers about 15.5 feet (4.7 m) every second. After that burst, though, it tires quickly and usually slips back into the water.
Convert Crocodile Speed to mph, m/s and Knots
To start, type any speed below to convert it. The box starts at 17 km/h, the land record listed by Guinness World Records for the Australian freshwater crocodile. Next, try 20 to see the swimming burst, or 15.84 for the fastest crocodile measured in a 2019 lab study.
Above all, crocodile speed is easy to exaggerate. The older version of this page, for instance, claimed swimming speeds of 24 to 32 km/h (15 to 20 mph) and gave exact land speeds for each species and age group. We could not find a reliable source for those figures, so we removed them. Instead, this page now uses three solid references: a 2019 study that filmed 15 crocodilian species running, the Northern Territory government’s Crocwise program, and Guinness World Records.
The study, published in Scientific Reports by John Hutchinson and colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College, timed 42 animals on a runway. Its fastest crocodile reached 4.4 m/s, which is 15.84 km/h or 9.84 mph. Notably, that animal was an American crocodile using a fast running gait, not a gallop.
How Fast Are Crocodiles? Speed Chart by Situation
In addition, each row below names its source. Also, every conversion uses the exact definition 1 mile = 1.609344 km and is rounded to two decimals, so the chart is safe to print.
| Situation | km/h | mph | m/s | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small freshwater crocodile, full gallop | 18 | 11.18 | 5.00 | NT Crocwise |
| Freshwater crocodile land record | 17 | 10.56 | 4.72 | Guinness World Records |
| Fastest animal in the 2019 runway study (American crocodile) | 15.84 | 9.84 | 4.40 | Hutchinson et al., 2019 |
| Young saltwater crocodile running | 15 | 9.32 | 4.17 | NT Crocwise |
| Swimming burst (saltwater and freshwater) | 20 | 12.43 | 5.56 | NT Crocwise |
| Long ocean trip, tracked saltwater crocodile (590 km in 25 days) | about 0.98 | about 0.61 | about 0.27 | Campbell et al., 2010 |
The last row is an average over whole days, including rest. Even so, it shows the gap between a crocodile’s burst and its everyday travel pace.
Recommended Tools for Watching and Timing Wildlife
You should never test a crocodile’s speed in person. However, you can watch them safely from a viewing platform or a tour boat, and then time movement from a distance. First, waterproof binoculars let you stay well back from the bank. Next, a sports radar gun or a simple stopwatch helps you practice speed estimates on safer subjects, such as a dog, a bike or a ball.
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How Fast Are Crocodiles on Land? The Gallop Explained
On land, crocodiles move in three main ways. Most of the time they belly-crawl or use a “high walk” with the body lifted off the ground. When frightened, though, some species switch to a bounding gallop, in which the front and back legs work in pairs like a running dog.
For years, scientists thought only a few small crocodiles could gallop. However, the 2019 runway study changed that picture. It recorded galloping or bounding in several more species, including the Philippine, Cuban and American crocodiles, the West African slender-snouted crocodile and the dwarf crocodile. In contrast, no alligator or caiman ever galloped; they trotted instead.
Surprisingly, galloping did not make the crocodiles faster. Instead, the gallopers and the trotters reached similar top speeds. One likely reason is that a gallop helps with quick starts and sudden turns, which suits an animal that bolts back to the water when disturbed.
How Fast Are Crocodiles in Water?
Water, on the other hand, is where crocodiles feel at home. They swim by sweeping the tail from side to side, while the legs fold against the body to cut drag. As a result, a crocodile can launch from still water with surprising force. The Northern Territory’s Crocwise poster gives a swimming speed of 20 km/h (12.43 mph) for both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.
Still, that number describes a burst, not a cruising pace. Over long distances, saltwater crocodiles are actually weak swimmers. A tracking study led by Hamish Campbell at the University of Queensland found that they wait for the tide and ride surface currents instead. One tagged crocodile, for example, covered 590 km (367 miles) in 25 days. That works out to about 23.6 km per day, or roughly 1 km/h averaged over the whole trip.
Crocodiles vs Alligators, Caimans and Other Animals
People often mix up crocodiles and alligators, so this table separates them. The figures come from the same 2019 study, which tested both groups under the same conditions. For the full alligator story, see our guide on how fast an alligator is.
| Animal | Fastest gait seen | Top land speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) | Gallop, bound or fast trot | 4.4 m/s (15.84 km/h, 9.84 mph) | Several species gallop; most often to flee |
| Caimans and alligators | Trot only | 3.7 m/s (13.32 km/h, 8.28 mph), a spectacled caiman | Never galloped in the study; tend to stand their ground |
| Usain Bolt, 100 m world record | Sprint | 37.58 km/h (23.35 mph) average over 9.58 s | A human sprinter is more than twice as fast |
So, the fastest crocodile in the study ran about 19% faster than the fastest caiman. Meanwhile, an elite sprinter averages more than double a crocodile’s top speed. Our page on how fast a human can run has the details. Even so, that does not mean an average person should count on outrunning one; the danger lies in the first second or two at the water’s edge, not in a long chase.
For other animal speeds, compare the jaguar, a big cat that often hunts caimans in South America.
How to Estimate an Animal’s Speed From a Video
In fact, you can check any speed claim yourself with a video, a known distance and simple arithmetic.
- Find a clip with a reference length. A boat, a fence post or the animal’s own body length can serve as a scale.
- Mark the start and finish points. Pick two spots the animal passes, and then measure or estimate the distance between them.
- Count the frames. Step through the video frame by frame and note how many frames the run takes.
- Convert frames to seconds. Divide the frame count by the frame rate; for example, 60 frames at 30 frames per second is 2 seconds.
- Divide distance by time. Ten meters in 2 seconds is 5 m/s. Enter that number in the converter above to get 18 km/h or 11.18 mph.
Do and Don’t Around Crocodile Water
Do
- Obey every crocodile warning sign.
- Stand several meters back from the edge when fishing.
- Camp well away from the water, at least 50 m in Queensland guidance.
- Take extra care at night and in the breeding season.
- Watch wildlife from platforms, tours or boats.
Don’t
- Swim where crocodiles may live, even without a sign.
- Lean or dangle arms over the side of a boat.
- Clean fish or wash dishes at the water’s edge.
- Feed, provoke or approach a crocodile.
- Assume a calm, empty river is safe.
Honest Limits: Why Crocodile Speed Figures Vary
In general, crocodile speeds are hard to measure. First, most numbers come from a few animals filmed over short runways, so wild individuals could be a little faster or slower. Second, speed changes with body size, species and temperature, because crocodiles are cold-blooded and their muscles work better when warm. Third, popular articles often copy each other, and as a result, round numbers such as “20 mph in water” spread without any measurement behind them.
Therefore, treat every figure on this page as a typical range, not a hard limit. The swimming figure in particular is a single rounded value from a safety program. It is useful for planning, yet it is not a lab result.
When Accuracy Really Matters: Staying Safe
For trivia, a range of 15 to 18 km/h is plenty. Near crocodile habitat, however, the useful number is distance, not speed. Most attacks begin with an ambush from the water, which takes a fraction of a second. Because of that, wildlife agencies focus on keeping people away from the edge rather than on running away.
How Fast Are Crocodiles? Frequently Asked Questions
How fast are crocodiles on land?
Most crocodiles reach about 15 to 18 km/h (9.3 to 11.2 mph) on land, and only for a short dash. The fastest one in a 2019 runway study ran 4.4 m/s, or 9.84 mph.
How fast are crocodiles in water?
The Northern Territory Crocwise program gives a swimming speed of 20 km/h (12.43 mph). That is a burst; on long trips they travel far more slowly and often ride currents.
Which crocodile is the fastest on land?
Guinness World Records lists the Australian freshwater crocodile, at 17 km/h (10.56 mph) in a full gallop. Small freshwater crocodiles can reach about 18 km/h.
Can a crocodile gallop?
Yes. At least eight crocodile species can gallop or bound. Alligators and caimans, by contrast, were never seen galloping in the 2019 study.
Are crocodiles faster than alligators?
Slightly, on land. The fastest crocodile in the study reached 4.4 m/s, while the fastest alligator relative, a caiman, reached 3.7 m/s.
How fast are crocodiles compared with humans?
An elite sprinter averages about 23 mph over 100 m, more than twice a crocodile’s top land speed. In water, though, a crocodile is more than twice as fast as an elite swimmer.
How long can a crocodile keep up its top speed?
Only for a few seconds. Crocodiles tire quickly at full effort, so they rely on ambush and short bursts.
Are big crocodiles faster than small ones?
No. Research shows larger crocodilians use less extreme gaits, and the top land speeds come from smaller, younger animals.
How fast are crocodiles over long distances?
Slow. One tracked saltwater crocodile covered 590 km in 25 days, an average of roughly 1 km/h, by riding ocean currents.
Is it true you should run in a zigzag from a crocodile?
There is no good evidence for that advice. Experts focus on prevention: stay away from the water’s edge, follow signs, and never swim in crocodile habitat.
The Bottom Line
To sum up, crocodiles sprint at about 15 to 18 km/h (9 to 11 mph) on land and burst at about 20 km/h (12 mph) in water. Over long distances, by contrast, they move at around 1 km/h and let currents do the work.
Finally, remember that speed is not the real danger; surprise is. So keep your distance from the water’s edge, follow local signs, and use the converter above whenever you want to compare crocodile speed with other animals.
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