Calcylator
Length

Feet, inches and centimetres:
convert with confidence

The exact factors, a quick method, and height conversions you can check by hand.

Calcylator Editorial Team

Updated · 4 min read

The exact conversion factors

The inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres, so every factor below is exact, not a rounded approximation. Round only your final answer.

Length factors
ImperialMetric equivalent
1 inch2.54 cm
1 foot (12 in)30.48 cm = 0.3048 m
1 yard (3 ft)91.44 cm = 0.9144 m
1 mile (5,280 ft)1.609344 km

Everything else follows from these. The Inches to Centimetres Calculator and the Feet to Metres Calculator apply them directly. Four rules cover most everyday jobs:

  • Inches to centimetres: multiply by 2.54.
  • Centimetres to inches: divide by 2.54.
  • Feet to metres: multiply by 0.3048.
  • Metres to feet: divide by 0.3048, so 1 m is about 3.2808 ft.

Feet and inches to centimetres

Turn the whole height into inches first, then multiply by 2.54.

Centimetres =(feet × 12 + inches) × 2.54
feet:
the whole feet
inches:
the extra inches
2.54:
centimetres in one inch

  • Height

    5 ft 9 in

In centimetres

175.26 cm

5 × 12 + 9 = 69 inches, and 69 × 2.54 = 175.26 cm, which is 1.7526 m. Most forms ask for the nearest centimetre, so write 175 cm.

You can also convert each part separately: 5 ft × 30.48 = 152.4 cm and 9 in × 2.54 = 22.86 cm, which add up to the same 175.26 cm.

Centimetres to feet and inches

Go the other way with the remainder method: divide by 2.54 to get inches, then split the inches into feet and a remainder. Take 168 cm.

  1. 168 ÷ 2.54 = 66.14 inches.
  2. 66 ÷ 12 = 5 feet with a remainder of 6 inches.
  3. Keep the 0.14 in left over: 168 cm = 5 ft 6.14 in, or about 5 ft 6 in.

As a check, 5 ft 6 in is 66 × 2.54 = 167.64 cm, only 0.36 cm shorter than 168 cm. Another quick one: 175 cm ÷ 2.54 = 68.90 in, which is 5 ft 8.9 in, or 5 ft 9 in rounded.

Common heights in centimetres

Heights from 5 ft 0 in to 6 ft 2 in (centimetres rounded to one decimal place)
HeightTotal inchesCentimetres
5 ft 0 in60152.4
5 ft 1 in61154.9
5 ft 2 in62157.5
5 ft 3 in63160.0
5 ft 4 in64162.6
5 ft 5 in65165.1
5 ft 6 in66167.6
5 ft 7 in67170.2
5 ft 8 in68172.7
5 ft 9 in69175.3
5 ft 10 in70177.8
5 ft 11 in71180.3
6 ft 0 in72182.9
6 ft 1 in73185.4
6 ft 2 in74188.0

Each extra inch adds 2.54 cm, so you can move up or down the table by simple addition. To read it backwards, find the nearest row: 170 cm sits between 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm) and 5 ft 7 in (170.2 cm), so it is just under 5 ft 7 in (170 ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 in).

Why 1 foot is not 30 cm

Rounding a foot to 30 cm is tempting, but it is about 1.6% short. That is small at 1 foot and larger over distance: 6 ft is 182.88 cm, yet 6 × 30 = 180 cm, almost 3 cm off, and a 10 ft run is 304.8 cm against 300 cm.

In construction such errors matter. A 12 ft × 10 ft room is 3.66 m × 3.05 m (exactly 3.6576 m × 3.048 m), and a common 8 ft × 4 ft board is 2.44 m × 1.22 m (2.4384 m × 1.2192 m). Treat that board as 2.4 m and you are nearly 4 cm out.

Longer distances follow the same logic: 1 mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so 10 miles is 16.09 km. The Miles to Kilometres Calculator handles that.

Common questions

How many centimetres is 5 feet 9 inches?

5 feet 9 inches is 175.26 cm, or about 175 cm (1.75 m). Convert to 69 inches (5 × 12 + 9), then multiply by 2.54. For forms that ask for whole centimetres, round to the nearest centimetre.

How do I convert cm to feet and inches?

Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get inches. Divide the inches by 12: the whole number is the feet and the remainder is the inches. For 168 cm, 168 ÷ 2.54 = 66.14 in, which is 5 ft 6 in with a little left over.

How many cm are in a foot?

One foot is exactly 30.48 cm, which is 12 inches × 2.54 cm per inch. In metres, that is 0.3048 m. Rounding to 30 cm is about 1.6% short, which adds up over longer lengths.

What is 6 feet in centimetres?

Six feet is 72 inches, and 72 × 2.54 = 182.88 cm, or 1.8288 m. Rounded to the nearest centimetre, that is 183 cm. Using 6 × 30 = 180 cm would leave you almost 3 cm short.

How many inches are in a metre?

One metre is 100 cm, and 100 ÷ 2.54 = 39.37 inches (rounded to two decimals), which is about 3 ft 3.37 in. That is a little over 39 inches, so a metre is slightly longer than a yard (36 inches).

Was this guide helpful?

Continue reading

View all blogs