Growth characteristics of three commonly planted peanut cultivars were measured during the 1988 and 1989 growing seasons at the Wiregrass Substation in Headland, Ala., to develop equations for predicting leaf area index (LAI) from other growth varibales. These equations were needed to allow rapid estimation of leaf area loss from foliar-feeding insects or foliar-fungal pathogens. Conventionally planted and tilled fields of Florunner, Sunrunner and Southern Runner peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were sampled for plant vegetative stage, reproductive stage, height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf dry weight, number of pods, pod dry weight, stem dry weight, and stand density. Most growth characteristics increased linearly (p<0.05) with time in both years. LAI was significantly correlated (P<0.05) with most growth variables for each cultivar. Linear regression was used to create equations for prediction of LAI from leaf dry weight (range of R² = 0.93 to 0.97) and number of leaves (range of R² = 0.74 to 0.95) for each cultivar, and all cultivars combined. Equations were also developed to predict LAI from plant height (range of R² = 0.85 to 0.96) and plant vegetative stage (range of R² = 0.81 to 0.83). These equations should be useful to those who wish to estimate LAI from other growth variables.