How to convert feet and inches to centimeters
Height in the United States is usually written in feet and inches, such as 5’10”, while the rest of the world uses centimeters. This tool switches your height between the two formats in both directions, using exact factors rather than rough estimates.
Everything rests on the international inch, standardized back in 1959:
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly
- 1 foot = 12 inches = 30.48 cm exactly
From there the method is simple:
- Feet and inches to cm: convert everything to inches first (
total inches = feet × 12 + inches), then multiply by 2.54 →cm = total inches × 2.54. Divide the centimeters by 100 to get meters. - cm to feet and inches: divide by 2.54 to get total inches, divide that by 12 for the whole feet, and the remainder is the leftover inches →
feet = ⌊cm ÷ 2.54 ÷ 12⌋.
The converter above has two modes. “Feet & inches → cm” takes the feet and inches separately and returns centimeters and meters. “cm → feet & inches” takes centimeters and gives you the familiar 5′11″ notation, plus the exact form with decimal inches so nothing is lost to rounding.
Worked example
Take a height of 5 feet 10 inches. Convert to inches: 5 × 12 + 10 = 70 inches. Multiply by 2.54: 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm, which is 1.778 m.
Now the other way around: how much is 180 cm in feet and inches? Divide by 2.54: 180 ÷ 2.54 = 70.87 total inches. Those 70.87 inches are 5 feet (60 inches) plus 10.87 inches. Rounded to the nearest whole inch that reads as 5′11″. So 5’10” (177.8 cm) and 180 cm (≈5’11”) sit just 2.2 cm apart.
Common height chart
| Feet and inches | Inches | Centimeters | Meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′0″ | 60 in | 152.40 cm | 1.524 m |
| 5′2″ | 62 in | 157.48 cm | 1.575 m |
| 5′4″ | 64 in | 162.56 cm | 1.626 m |
| 5′6″ | 66 in | 167.64 cm | 1.676 m |
| 5′8″ | 68 in | 172.72 cm | 1.727 m |
| 5′10″ | 70 in | 177.80 cm | 1.778 m |
| 6′0″ | 72 in | 182.88 cm | 1.829 m |
| 6′2″ | 74 in | 187.96 cm | 1.880 m |
| 6′4″ | 76 in | 193.04 cm | 1.930 m |
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters is 5’10”?
5 feet 10 inches equals 70 inches, and 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm (1.778 m). It is one of the most searched heights because it lands close to the average adult male height in several countries.
How do I write my height in the 5’11” format?
The single prime (′) marks feet and the double prime (″) marks inches, so 5′11″ reads as “five feet eleven inches.” In the “cm → feet & inches” mode the tool hands you that notation ready to copy.
Why is an inch exactly 2.54 cm?
Before 1959 each English-speaking country used a slightly different inch. That year the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa agreed on the “international inch” of exactly 25.4 mm to unify engineering and trade.
Does rounding in the cm → feet & inches mode lose accuracy?
The large result (5′11″) rounds to the nearest whole inch so it is easy to read, but right below it the tool shows the exact form with decimal inches (for example, 5 ft 10.87 in) and the total inch count. Use that line whenever you need millimeter precision.
Does it work for anything besides height?
Although it is built for height, the math is the same for any length given in feet and inches: an inseam, a curtain drop, or a surfboard. Just remember that a foot is always 12 inches and an inch is always 2.54 cm.