Length Converter
One meter equals 3.28084 feet, and one foot is exactly 0.3048 meters. This length converter turns any value between millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers, inches, feet, yards, miles and nautical miles instantly, using the international definitions: 1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1 mile = 1,609.344 m.
1 m = 3.28084 ft
How to use the Length Converter
- Type a value in the From box. It starts at 1 meter.
- Choose the From and To units from the two unit menus.
- Read the answer in the To box. You can also type in the To box to convert in the other direction.
- Press the swap button to reverse the units, or use the chips below to see the value in every other unit at once.
Formula
result = value × (from-unit in meters) ÷ (to-unit in meters)Every unit is converted through meters using exact factors: 1 mm = 0.001 m, 1 cm = 0.01 m, 1 km = 1,000 m, 1 in = 0.0254 m, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 yd = 0.9144 m, 1 mi = 1,609.344 m and 1 nautical mile = 1,852 m.
Common length conversions
- 1 meter = 3.28084 feet
- 1 foot = 0.3048 meters
- 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
- 1 yard = 0.9144 meters
- 1 kilometer = 0.621371 miles
- 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers
- 1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers
Metric and imperial length units
The metric system is decimal: 10 millimeters make a centimeter, 100 centimeters make a meter and 1,000 meters make a kilometer. Imperial and US customary units use irregular ratios: 12 inches make a foot, 3 feet make a yard and 5,280 feet make a mile.
Since 1959 the inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters, so every imperial length converts to metric without rounding error.
Length Converter questions
How many feet are in a meter?
There are 3.28084 feet in a meter. To convert meters to feet, multiply by 3.28084. To convert feet to meters, multiply by 0.3048, which is exact. For example, 5 meters is 5 × 3.28084 = 16.4 feet, and 10 feet is 3.048 meters.
How do I convert inches to centimeters?
Multiply inches by 2.54 to get centimeters, because one inch is exactly 2.54 cm. Divide centimeters by 2.54 to get inches. For example, 6 inches is 15.24 cm. This exact factor is used for clothing sizes, screens and product dimensions worldwide.
How many kilometers are in a mile?
One mile is 1.609344 kilometers, and one kilometer is 0.621371 miles. Multiply miles by 1.609 for kilometers, or kilometers by 0.621 for miles. For example, 10 miles is 16.09 km and a 5 km run is 3.11 miles. Road signs in the UK and US use miles, while most other countries use kilometers.
What is the difference between imperial and metric length units?
Metric units are based on powers of ten, while imperial units use irregular ratios. Metric runs millimeter, centimeter, meter and kilometer. Imperial runs inch, foot (12 inches), yard (3 feet) and mile (5,280 feet). Metric is used almost everywhere; the US mainly uses imperial.
What is a nautical mile and how does it differ from a mile?
A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters, about 1.15078 statute miles. It is based on one minute of latitude, which makes it convenient for navigation on charts. Ships and aircraft measure distance in nautical miles and speed in knots, which are nautical miles per hour.
How do I convert millimeters to inches for precision work?
Divide millimeters by 25.4 to get inches, since one inch is exactly 25.4 mm. One millimeter is about 0.0394 inches, and 0.1 mm is about 0.004 inches. Decimal inches are easier than fractions for machining, 3D printing and engineering tolerances.
How do I convert TV and monitor screen sizes to centimeters?
Multiply the diagonal size in inches by 2.54. A 32 inch screen is 81 cm, a 55 inch screen is 140 cm and a 65 inch screen is 165 cm diagonally. Width and height depend on the aspect ratio, which is 16:9 for most modern TVs.
What are some everyday length references?
A credit card is 85.6 mm (3.37 in) wide, a standard interior door is about 2.03 m (80 in) tall, a soccer pitch is roughly 100 m (109 yd) long, and a marathon is 42.195 km (26.2 mi). Familiar references help you sanity check a conversion.