Convert centimeters to inches, inches to centimeters and meters to feet and inches instantly. Handles 12 length units from millimeters to light years, parses mixed-unit input like 5'10", shows fractional inch results, and includes height charts, step-by-step working, price-per-length conversion and the 2023 survey foot change explained.
- cm → in
- in → cm
- m → ft & in
- ft & in → m
- Fractional inches
- Height charts
- 12 units
- Step-by-step
Accept formats: 5, 5.8, 5'10", 5 ft 10 in
Results are at rest
Enter a value, pick your units, then press Convert Length.
Inputs changed. Press Convert Length to refresh.
Step-by-step working
Feet and inches breakdown
Fractional inch breakdown
All equivalents
How to Convert Length and Distance
Use this calculator to convert any length or distance between centimeters, inches, meters, feet and inches, yards, miles, millimeters, kilometers, nautical miles, astronomical units and light years. It works in both directions, so it answers "how many inches in 30 cm", "how many cm in 12 inches", "how many feet and inches in 1.83 m" and "how many meters in 5'10" " from the same input. The seven steps below walk through every feature of the tool, including the features most online converters leave out.
Enter the value
Type any number. Whole numbers, decimals and comma separators are accepted. If the unit is Feet & inches, you can also type 5'10" or 5 ft 10 in and the parser reads it automatically. For 1.83 meters, enter 1.83.
Pick a preset or the from unit
The four preset buttons jump straight to cm → in, in → cm, m → ft & in and ft & in → m. Otherwise choose any of the 12 units from the From dropdown.
Choose the to unit
Pick any of the 12 units, including the combined Feet & inches output. To flip the direction, press Swap Units and the two dropdowns exchange values while the number stays the same.
Set precision and fraction
The Decimals selector controls decimal places. The Fraction selector shows the result as a fractional inch (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 or 1/64) — the feature woodworkers, machinists and tailors actually need.
Press Convert Length
The result panel stays at rest until you press the button. After conversion, the primary result, the detail rows, the step-by-step working, the feet-and-inches breakdown and the full equivalents list all appear.
Read the breakdowns
Below the primary result you get the step-by-step calculation, the result split into feet and inches, the fractional inch form if you selected a denominator, and the same length in every other supported unit.
Copy and reuse
The copy button grabs the full result set — primary result, feet-and-inches, fraction and every equivalent unit — for pasting into a drawing note, cut list, listing or report.
Need to convert area rather than length? BuildersMeasures has an Area Conversion Calculator covering acres, square feet and square meters. For measuring a room or building footprint in square feet, use the Square Footage Calculator.
Popular Length Conversions
These four conversions cover almost every length and distance question. Each card carries the exact factor used by the calculator. Press Try it to load the conversion into the tool above with your current value.
Centimeters to Inches
in = cm ÷ 2.54
One inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters. Divide centimeters by 2.54 to get inches. 30 cm is 11.8110 in, or about 11 13/16 in.
Inches to Centimeters
cm = in × 2.54
Multiply inches by 2.54. 12 inches is exactly 30.48 cm, and 36 inches is 91.44 cm. The factor is exact under the 1959 international yard and pound agreement.
Meters to Feet and Inches
ft = m × 3.280839895
Multiply meters by 3.280839895 to get decimal feet, then split into feet and inches. 1.83 m is 6 ft 0.05 in. The converter does the split automatically.
Feet and Inches to Meters
m = (ft × 12 + in) × 0.0254
Type 5'10" and the parser reads it. Convert to total inches, then multiply by 0.0254. 5'10" is 1.7780 m. The converter parses the input automatically.
| Conversion | Factor | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Centimeters → Inches | ÷ 2.54 | 30 cm = 11.8110 in |
| Inches → Centimeters | × 2.54 | 12 in = 30.48 cm |
| Meters → Feet | × 3.280839895 | 2 m = 6.5617 ft |
| Feet → Meters | × 0.3048 | 6 ft = 1.8288 m |
| Miles → Kilometers | × 1.609344 | 5 mi = 8.0467 km |
| Kilometers → Miles | × 0.62137119 | 10 km = 6.2137 mi |
| Yards → Meters | × 0.9144 | 10 yd = 9.144 m |
| Nautical miles → Meters | × 1852 | 1 nmi = 1,852 m |
Mental math shortcuts. 1 cm ≈ 0.39 in. 1 in = 2.54 cm. 1 m ≈ 3.28 ft. 1 ft = 0.3048 m. 1 km ≈ 0.62 mi. 1 mi ≈ 1.61 km. For height, 5'10" is the same as 70 inches or 177.8 cm.
The Formula
Every length conversion in this tool routes through the meter as the common middle unit. Each unit has an exact factor in meters, and the conversion multiplies by the source factor and divides by the destination factor. That is why any unit converts to any other unit in one step.
Worked example — meters to feet and inches. Convert 1.83 m. Total inches = 1.83 / 0.0254 = 72.0472 in. Feet = floor(72.0472 / 12) = 6 ft. Inches = 72.0472 − 6 x 12 = 0.0472 in. Result: 6 ft 0.05 in. Worked example — feet and inches to meters. Convert 5'10". Total inches = 5 x 12 + 10 = 70 in. Meters = 70 x 0.0254 = 1.7780 m.
Height Converter Charts
Height conversion is the single biggest reason people search for a length converter. These charts give the answer immediately for the heights people actually ask about — from 4'6" to 7'0" — in centimeters and meters. The cm to feet and inches chart covers the metric side.
Feet and inches to centimeters
| Feet & inches | Inches | Centimeters | Meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4' 6" | 54 | 137.16 cm | 1.3716 m |
| 4' 10" | 58 | 147.32 cm | 1.4732 m |
| 5' 0" | 60 | 152.40 cm | 1.5240 m |
| 5' 2" | 62 | 157.48 cm | 1.5748 m |
| 5' 4" | 64 | 162.56 cm | 1.6256 m |
| 5' 6" | 66 | 167.64 cm | 1.6764 m |
| 5' 8" | 68 | 172.72 cm | 1.7272 m |
| 5' 10" | 70 | 177.80 cm | 1.7780 m |
| 6' 0" | 72 | 182.88 cm | 1.8288 m |
| 6' 2" | 74 | 187.96 cm | 1.8796 m |
| 6' 4" | 76 | 193.04 cm | 1.9304 m |
| 6' 6" | 78 | 198.12 cm | 1.9812 m |
| 6' 8" | 80 | 203.20 cm | 2.0320 m |
| 6' 10" | 82 | 208.28 cm | 2.0828 m |
| 7' 0" | 84 | 213.36 cm | 2.1336 m |
Centimeters to feet and inches
| Centimeters | Feet & inches | Total inches | Meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 137 cm | 4' 6" | 53.9 in | 1.37 m |
| 147 cm | 4' 10" | 57.9 in | 1.47 m |
| 152 cm | 5' 0" | 59.8 in | 1.52 m |
| 157 cm | 5' 2" | 61.8 in | 1.57 m |
| 163 cm | 5' 4" | 64.2 in | 1.63 m |
| 168 cm | 5' 6" | 66.1 in | 1.68 m |
| 173 cm | 5' 8" | 68.1 in | 1.73 m |
| 178 cm | 5' 10" | 70.1 in | 1.78 m |
| 183 cm | 6' 0" | 72.0 in | 1.83 m |
| 188 cm | 6' 2" | 74.0 in | 1.88 m |
| 193 cm | 6' 4" | 76.0 in | 1.93 m |
| 198 cm | 6' 6" | 78.0 in | 1.98 m |
| 203 cm | 6' 8" | 79.9 in | 2.03 m |
| 208 cm | 6' 10" | 81.9 in | 2.08 m |
| 213 cm | 7' 0" | 83.9 in | 2.13 m |
Human height averages. Average adult male height is about 5'9" (175.3 cm) in the US and 5'10" (177.8 cm) in the UK. Average adult female height is about 5'4" (162.6 cm) in the US and 5'3" (160.0 cm) in the UK. To convert any height, type it into the calculator above — the parser reads 5'10" directly.
Meters to Feet and Inches (and Back)
This is the conversion most simple calculators get wrong. They output 6.003 ft when the person needs 6 ft 0.05 in. That split matters in construction, real estate listings, medical records and athletic measurements. This tool always shows the split when the destination is feet or feet-and-inches, and it parses 5'10" directly when the source is feet-and-inches.
| Meters | Decimal feet | Feet & inches | Total inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.50 m | 4.9213 ft | 4 ft 11.06 in | 59.06 in |
| 1.60 m | 5.2493 ft | 5 ft 2.99 in | 62.99 in |
| 1.70 m | 5.5774 ft | 5 ft 6.93 in | 66.93 in |
| 1.75 m | 5.7415 ft | 5 ft 8.90 in | 68.90 in |
| 1.80 m | 5.9055 ft | 5 ft 10.87 in | 70.87 in |
| 1.83 m | 6.0039 ft | 6 ft 0.05 in | 72.05 in |
| 1.90 m | 6.2336 ft | 6 ft 2.80 in | 74.80 in |
| 2.00 m | 6.5617 ft | 6 ft 6.74 in | 78.74 in |
| 2.10 m | 6.8898 ft | 6 ft 10.68 in | 82.68 in |
| 2.20 m | 7.2178 ft | 7 ft 2.61 in | 86.61 in |
Common trap. If you convert meters to decimal feet and stop there, a 1.83 m door frame reads "6.0039 ft" and you might order a 6 ft door. The actual opening is 6 ft 0.05 in — the 0.05 in (1.3 mm) is the difference between a door that closes and one that binds. Always use the feet-and-inches split for anything you have to build, fit or install.
Fractional Inches
Tape measures, drill bits, wrenches, lumber and fabric are all sold in fractional inches, not decimals. Most online converters only give you a decimal and leave you to guess. This tool converts the decimal part to the nearest fraction at the denominator you choose — 1/2 through 1/64. That is the feature machinists, woodworkers, tailors and DIY builders search for and rarely find.
| Decimal inch | 1/2 | 1/4 | 1/8 | 1/16 | 1/32 | 1/64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.03125 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/64 |
| 0.0625 | — | — | — | — | 1/16 | 4/64 |
| 0.125 | — | — | 1/8 | 2/16 | 4/32 | 8/64 |
| 0.1875 | — | — | — | 3/16 | 6/32 | 12/64 |
| 0.25 | — | 1/4 | 2/8 | 4/16 | 8/32 | 16/64 |
| 0.375 | — | — | 3/8 | 6/16 | 12/32 | 24/64 |
| 0.5 | 1/2 | 2/4 | 4/8 | 8/16 | 16/32 | 32/64 |
| 0.625 | — | — | 5/8 | 10/16 | 20/32 | 40/64 |
| 0.75 | — | 3/4 | 6/8 | 12/16 | 24/32 | 48/64 |
| 0.875 | — | — | 7/8 | 14/16 | 28/32 | 56/64 |
| 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
How the fraction works. The converter takes the decimal part of the inch result, multiplies by the denominator, rounds to the nearest whole number, then reduces the fraction. Example: 0.1875 in at denominator 16 = 0.1875 x 16 = 3, so 3/16 in. At denominator 32 = 0.1875 x 32 = 6, so 6/32 in, which reduces to 3/16 in. Both are correct; the tool shows the reduced form.
Survey Foot vs International Foot
This is the gap most converters ignore and it has cost the construction and surveying industries millions. Until 31 December 2022 the United States had two legal feet: the international foot (exactly 0.3048 m) and the U.S. survey foot (exactly 1200/3937 m, about 0.3048006096 m). They differ by about 2 parts per million — 0.01 ft per mile, or 0.6 ft over 100 km. That is small until you are setting a boundary, aligning a rail line or tying into a state plane coordinate system.
What changed on 1 January 2023. NIST and the National Geodetic Survey deprecated the U.S. survey foot. All new work must use the international foot of exactly 0.3048 m. Legacy survey data and historic state plane coordinates may still be in U.S. survey feet; if you are working with old plats, deeds or control points, check which foot the original document used before converting. The difference matters at the precision modern GPS and total stations deliver. Every conversion in this tool uses the international foot.
Price Per Length: Comparing Materials Sold in Different Units
Cable, rope, trim, moulding, pipe, fabric, chain, wire and lumber are sold by the foot, meter or yard depending on the supplier and country. Comparing a per-meter price to a per-foot price is where money gets lost. This table gives the exact multiplier so you can compare any two quotes in the same unit.
| Price per meter | Price per foot | Price per yard |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $0.30 | $0.91 |
| $2.00 | $0.61 | $1.83 |
| $5.00 | $1.52 | $4.57 |
| $10.00 | $3.05 | $9.14 |
| $20.00 | $6.10 | $18.29 |
| $50.00 | $15.24 | $45.72 |
| $100.00 | $30.48 | $91.44 |
Worked example. Supplier A quotes $4.50 per meter for cable. Supplier B quotes $1.25 per foot. Convert A: $4.50 / 3.280839895 = $1.37 per foot. Supplier B at $1.25 per foot is cheaper. Without the conversion, the per-meter number looks smaller and the wrong supplier gets the order.
Length and Distance Units Compared
The table below gives the exact factor for every unit in this converter, all routed through the meter. NIST Special Publication 811 and the 1959 international yard and pound agreement define these factors; they do not change and they do not round.
| Unit | Symbol | Exact factor in meters | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millimeter | mm | 0.001 m | Engineering, machining, small parts |
| Centimeter | cm | 0.01 m | Everyday metric length, clothing, height |
| Meter | m | 1 m | SI base unit, construction, science |
| Kilometer | km | 1,000 m | Road distances, travel, running |
| Inch | in | 0.0254 m | US/UK trades, screens, pipe, fasteners |
| Foot | ft | 0.3048 m | US/UK construction, real estate, height |
| Yard | yd | 0.9144 m | Fabric, landscaping, sports fields |
| Mile | mi | 1,609.344 m | Road distances in US/UK |
| Nautical mile | nmi | 1,852 m | Marine and air navigation |
| Astronomical unit | AU | 149,597,870,700 m | Solar system distances |
| Light year | ly | 9,460,730,472,580,800 m | Interstellar distances |
Why route through the meter? Every unit above has an exact, legal definition in meters. Converting A to B is A × factor(A) / factor(B). That guarantees no rounding error accumulates and every pair of units is consistent. The tool also lets you convert directly between imperial units — feet to miles, inches to yards — using the same chain.
Real-World Uses for Length Conversion
The conversion comes up in six contexts where precision matters. This section covers what you actually need to know in each one.
Construction and trades
Plans in metric, lumber in feet and inches. The feet-and-inches split and the fraction output are what actually get written on a cut list. 2,400 mm converts to 7 ft 10 1/2 in at 1/2 precision — a number a carpenter can set a stop block to.
Travel and road distances
Speed limits, trail markers and hotel distances flip between miles and kilometers. 100 km/h is 62 mph. An 8 km hike is 5 miles. The converter handles both in one line with no mental arithmetic.
Shopping and product sizes
A European wardrobe listed as 200 cm deep needs to clear a 6 ft 6 in alcove. 200 cm = 6 ft 6.74 in. Without the feet-and-inches split, the 0.74 in gets missed and the wardrobe does not fit.
Engineering and CAD
Datasheets in millimeters, assembly drawings in inches. Routing through the meter with exact factors prevents the decimal-place errors that propagate downstream. Use the fraction output for legacy drawings with 1/32 and 1/64 tolerances.
Health and fitness
Height is recorded in centimeters in most of the world and in feet and inches in the US. A 178 cm reading is 5'10". Track the conversion once and both systems agree. Body measurements for pattern-making use the same split.
Aviation and marine navigation
Nautical miles, feet and meters all appear in the same flight plan or passage plan. 1 nmi = 1,852 m exactly. Runway lengths in feet, visibility in meters, distance in nautical miles — one tool covers all three.
The inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimeters under the international yard and pound agreement of 1959. From that, the foot is exactly 0.3048 m, the yard exactly 0.9144 m and the mile exactly 1,609.344 m. The nautical mile is exactly 1,852 m by international agreement. The astronomical unit is exactly 149,597,870,700 m and the light year is exactly 9,460,730,472,580,800 m, both defined by the International Astronomical Union. NIST Special Publication 811 gives the official conversion factors used here. As of 1 January 2023 the U.S. survey foot is deprecated and the international foot is the only foot in active use.
1 inch = 2.54 cm. 1 cm = 0.39 in. 1 meter = 3.28 ft. 1 ft = 0.3048 m. 1 mile = 1.61 km. 1 km = 0.62 mi. 1 yard = 0.9144 m. 1 nautical mile = 1.852 km. For height, 5'10" = 70 in = 177.8 cm = 1.778 m. To convert cm to inches mentally, divide by 2.5 (close enough for shopping). To convert meters to feet mentally, multiply by 3.3 (close enough for room dimensions). For anything you have to cut, fit or install, use the exact factors and the feet-and-inches split.
People Also Ask
How many cm in an inch?
One inch equals exactly 2.54 centimeters. That definition has been in force under the international yard and pound agreement since 1959. To convert inches to centimeters, multiply by 2.54. To convert centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54.
How many inches in 30 cm?
30 centimeters equals 11.8110 inches. Divide 30 by 2.54. In fractional terms that is about 11 13/16 in at 1/16 precision. The calculator above shows the exact decimal and the fraction.
How do I convert meters to feet and inches?
Multiply meters by 3.280839895 to get decimal feet, then split the decimal part into inches. The calculator above does the split automatically and shows the result as 6 ft 0.05 in, not 6.0039 ft. That distinction matters for anything you have to fit or build.
How tall is 1.83 meters in feet and inches?
1.83 meters is 6 feet 0.05 inches. That is 72.05 total inches or 183 centimeters. In decimal feet it is 6.0039 ft — the 0.05 in is the difference between 1.83 m and exactly 6 ft (1.8288 m).
How many feet in a meter?
One meter equals 3.280839895 feet. That is 39.3701 inches. To convert meters to feet, multiply by 3.280839895. To go the other way, multiply feet by 0.3048.
How do I convert 5'10" to cm?
5'10" means 5 feet 10 inches. Total inches = 5 x 12 + 10 = 70 in. Centimeters = 70 x 2.54 = 177.8 cm. The calculator above parses 5'10" automatically when the From unit is Feet & inches.
How many feet in a mile?
One mile equals exactly 5,280 feet. That is 1,760 yards or 1,609.344 meters. The mile is defined as 1,609.344 m under the 1959 agreement.
How many km in a mile?
One mile equals 1.609344 kilometers. Multiply miles by 1.609344 to get kilometers. A 5K race is 3.1069 miles, and a marathon is 42.195 km or 26.2188 mi.
What is a nautical mile in meters?
One nautical mile equals exactly 1,852 meters. That is about 6,076.1 feet or 1.1508 statute miles. The nautical mile is defined as one minute of latitude and is used in marine and air navigation.
What is the difference between the survey foot and the international foot?
The international foot is exactly 0.3048 m. The U.S. survey foot was 1200/3937 m, about 0.3048006096 m — a difference of about 2 parts per million. As of 1 January 2023 the U.S. survey foot is deprecated and the international foot is the only foot in active use in the United States. If you are working with legacy survey data, check which foot the original document used.
How do I convert a decimal inch to a fraction?
Multiply the decimal part by the denominator you want, round to the nearest whole number, then reduce. Example: 0.1875 in at denominator 16 = 0.1875 x 16 = 3, so 3/16 in. The calculator above does this automatically at 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 or 1/64 precision.
Is this length converter free and does it store my data?
Yes and no. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored. Your inputs are not saved anywhere. The only thing remembered is the rating counter, which uses your browser's local storage and never leaves your device.
Related Calculators
References
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), Appendix B.8, Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Handbook 44, Specifications, Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Deprecation of the United States (U.S.) Survey Foot, Federal Register notice, effective 1 January 2023.
- International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959, defining the international inch at exactly 25.4 millimeters, the foot at exactly 0.3048 meters and the mile at exactly 1,609.344 meters.
- International Hydrographic Organization, definition of the international nautical mile at exactly 1,852 meters.
- International Astronomical Union, definition of the astronomical unit at exactly 149,597,870,700 meters and the light year at exactly 9,460,730,472,580,800 meters.
- BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition.
Confirm critical dimensions against the drawing, specification or survey before cutting, ordering or building. Length conversions from this calculator use the international foot of exactly 0.3048 meters, the international inch of exactly 0.0254 meters, and the exact SI factors published by NIST. The U.S. survey foot is deprecated and is not used in this tool.