Length Conversion Chart and Formulas: cm, Inches, Feet, Meters and Miles

Short answer: 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 foot = 30.48 cm, 1 meter = 3.281 feet and 1 mile = 1.609 km. To convert, multiply by the factor in the table below. The charts after it have the most searched values worked out, and our free Length Converter converts any value between 12 units instantly, including feet and inches together.

Multiply the value you have by the number in the third column. Factors marked "exact" are exact by definition; the others are rounded to 6 decimals.

Since 1959, the inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 cm. That makes the foot exactly 30.48 cm, the yard exactly 0.9144 m and the mile exactly 1,609.344 m. Only the conversions the other way (cm to inches, meters to feet) have long decimals.

1. Find the factor for your two units in the table above.
2. Multiply your value by it.
3. Round the result to a sensible precision: 1 decimal for heights, 2 for most measurements.

For units that are not in the table, go through meters: convert your value to meters, then from meters to the unit you want. That is exactly how our converter works internally, so it can convert between any two of its 12 units.

5 ft × 30.48 = 152.40 cm
7 in × 2.54  =  17.78 cm
Total        = 170.18 cm (about 170.2 cm)

180 cm ÷ 2.54     = 70.87 inches
70.87 ÷ 12        = 5 feet, remainder 10.87 inches
Result            = 5′10.9″ (about 5′11″)

Divide centimeters by 2.54 to get inches.

Multiply inches by 2.54 to get centimeters.

Heights are the most common length question. Here is every height from 4′10″ to 6′6″. For a height not listed, enter the feet and inches in the Length Converter: choose Feet as the "from" unit and an extra Inches box appears.

Multiply meters by 3.28084 to get feet. The last column splits the result into feet and whole inches.

Multiply kilometers by 0.621371 to get miles, or miles by 1.609344 to get kilometers.

Every metric step is a power of 10, so converting inside the metric system only moves the decimal point: 2.5 m = 250 cm = 2,500 mm.

When you only need a rough number:

For anything you will build, cut, order or submit, use the exact factor instead.

Our Length Converter does all of this in your browser:

• 12 units: nanometers, micrometers, millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers, inches, feet, yards, miles, nautical miles and light-years
• Feet and inches together in one input (for heights)
• Your value converted into every unit at once, in a table
• Precision from 0 to 10 decimals, or automatic
• Swap the units in one click and copy the result
• Runs entirely in your browser: nothing is sent anywhere

Need weight, temperature, area, volume or speed? Use our Unit Converter.

Exactly 2.54 centimeters. To go the other way, 1 cm is about 0.3937 inches.

3.28084 feet, or 3 feet 3.37 inches. A foot is exactly 0.3048 meters.

Multiply the feet by 30.48, multiply the inches by 2.54, and add the two. 5′7″ is 5 × 30.48 + 7 × 2.54 = 170.18 cm.

12 inches in a foot, 36 in a yard and 63,360 in a mile.

Almost: a mile is exactly 1.609344 km. 1.6 is close enough for estimates, but over a marathon (26.2 miles) the difference adds up to about 250 meters.

A nautical mile is 1,852 meters (about 1.15 ordinary miles). It is used at sea and in aviation because one nautical mile is roughly one minute of latitude.