How to Convert Centimetres to Feet and Inches
Heights are often quoted in centimetres in one country and in feet and inches in another. The conversion is simple once you know there are 2.54 cm in an inch.
Three steps
- Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get total inches.
- Divide the inches by 12. The whole number is the feet.
- The remainder is the leftover inches.
Example: 175 cm
175 ÷ 2.54 = 68.9 inches. 68.9 ÷ 12 gives 5 feet with 8.9 inches left over. So 175 cm is about 5 ft 9 in.
Reverse: feet and inches to cm
Turn everything into inches, then multiply by 2.54. For 6 ft 1 in: 6 × 12 + 1 = 73 inches, and 73 × 2.54 = 185.4 cm.
Quick reference
| cm | Feet and inches |
|---|---|
| 150 | 4 ft 11 in |
| 160 | 5 ft 3 in |
| 170 | 5 ft 7 in |
| 180 | 5 ft 11 in |
| 190 | 6 ft 3 in |
Tip
Round to the nearest half inch for forms and passports unless the document asks for more precision.
Where you will need it
Visa forms, sports profiles, clothing size charts and furniture listings frequently ask for height or length in feet and inches. A 200 cm shelf is 6 ft 6.7 in, so it will not fit under a 6 ft 6 in ceiling beam. Converting before you buy avoids returns, and the same 2.54 factor works for any length.
Millimetres and metres follow the same pattern. There are 25.4 mm in an inch and 0.3048 m in a foot, so a 2 m ladder is 6.56 ft. When you work with building plans, check whether dimensions are in metric or imperial before ordering materials, because one wrong unit can mean cutting a board that is far too long or short.
Try it yourself
Use our free unit converter to check your numbers instantly.