Reviewed & updated for 2026 by Rakesh Choudhary, PhD · How we calculate
Common length conversions
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | Centimeters | 2.54 |
| Centimeters | Inches | 0.3937 |
| Feet | Meters | 0.3048 |
| Meters | Feet | 3.28084 |
| Yards | Meters | 0.9144 |
| Miles | Kilometers | 1.60934 |
| Kilometers | Miles | 0.62137 |
| Millimeters | Inches | 0.0394 |
| Inches | Millimeters | 25.4 |
Quick reference: the conversions people look up most
Heights in feet and inches to centimeters, and running distances in kilometers to miles, are the two most-searched length conversions. Here they are worked out:
| Conversion | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 2.54 cm |
| 1 foot | 30.48 cm |
| 5 ft 6 in | 167.6 cm |
| 6 ft 0 in | 182.9 cm |
| 1 meter | 3 ft 3.4 in |
| 1 mile | 1.61 km |
| 5 km | 3.11 miles |
| Marathon (42.2 km) | 26.2 miles |
How to convert length units by hand
Every length conversion is one multiplication by a fixed factor. The four asked for most:
- Inches → centimeters: multiply by 2.54. Example: 12 in × 2.54 = 30.48 cm.
- Feet → meters: multiply by 0.3048. Example: 6 ft × 0.3048 = 1.83 m.
- Miles → kilometers: multiply by 1.60934. Example: 5 mi × 1.60934 = 8.05 km.
- Meters → feet: multiply by 3.28084. Example: 100 m × 3.28084 = 328.1 ft.
To reverse any of these, divide instead of multiply. The converter above does all eight units at once, so you can type a value in any unit and read every equivalent instantly, no arithmetic required.
FAQs
How many feet are in a meter?
1 meter equals 3.28084 feet. To convert meters to feet, multiply by 3.28084. So 5 meters = 16.4042 feet. To convert feet to meters, divide by 3.28084 (or multiply by 0.3048).
How many centimeters are in an inch?
1 inch equals exactly 2.54 centimeters by international agreement. So 12 inches (1 foot) = 30.48 cm, and 1 cm = 0.3937 inches.
How many kilometers are in a mile?
1 mile equals 1.609344 kilometers (exactly). So 60 mph = 96.56 km/h. To convert km to miles, multiply by 0.6214.
How many yards are in a meter?
1 meter equals 1.09361 yards. 1 yard equals 0.9144 meters (exactly). So 100 meters = 109.36 yards (a swimming pool length).
What's the difference between metric and imperial?
Metric (meters, centimeters, kilometers) is base-10 and used by virtually every country except the US, UK (partially), and Liberia. Imperial (feet, inches, miles) is the legacy system used in US daily life. Scientists, military, and international trade in the US use metric. The conversion factor between them is the fundamental challenge.
How accurate is this length converter?
Conversions use exact ratios as defined by the International System of Units (SI): 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly, 1 mile = 1609.344 m exactly, 1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly. We round display to 5-6 decimal places for readability.
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