Feet & Meters Converter

The feet and meters converter is a fast, accurate length and distance calculator that switches between imperial and metric units in a single step. Type any number, choose the unit you are converting from, and see instant conversions to metres, centimetres, millimetres, kilometres, inches, feet, yards, and miles at the same time. It is designed for builders, students, athletes, pilots, surveyors, engineers, and anyone who regularly works with both metric and imperial measurements.

Because the imperial system and the metric system are both built on fixed, internationally agreed definitions, conversions are exact, not approximate. One foot is exactly 0.3048 metres. One inch is exactly 0.0254 metres. One yard is exactly 0.9144 metres. One mile is exactly 1609.344 metres. There is no rounding ambiguity to worry about when you switch between these units, the math is settled by international treaty.

How to Use the Feet & Meters Converter

1. Enter the value you want to convert in the input box. The value can be a whole number, a decimal, or a fraction expressed as a decimal (for example, 0.5 or 6.25).
2. Select the source unit from the dropdown menu. The default is foot, but you can switch to metre, inch, yard, mile, kilometre, centimetre, or millimetre.
3. Read the converted values for every other length unit listed below the input. The values update as you type or change the source unit.
4. Use the reference line at the top of the results to confirm the conversion factor for the most common unit pair, feet to metres.
5. For more precision, hover or focus any result row to copy the exact number to your clipboard, or simply note the value for your own records.

The calculator runs entirely in your browser, which means your inputs never leave your device. You can convert as many values as you like, switch units back and forth, and compare results without any sign-up, download, or data collection.

The Formula

Every conversion on this page is built on a single base unit, the metre. To convert a value from any source unit to any target unit, you multiply by the source unit's length in metres, then divide by the target unit's length in metres.

The two-direction formulas are:

• Feet to metres: metres = feet × 0.3048
• Metres to feet: feet = metres ÷ 0.3048 (≈ metres × 3.28084)

The exact reference conversion factors, defined by the International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959, are:

• 1 inch = 0.0254 m (exactly)
• 1 foot = 0.3048 m (exactly)
• 1 yard = 0.9144 m (exactly)
• 1 mile = 1609.344 m (exactly)
• 1 centimetre = 0.01 m
• 1 millimetre = 0.001 m
• 1 kilometre = 1000 m

Because these are definitions rather than measured quantities, the conversions are exact and do not drift over time. The same factor will be correct today, next year, and next century.

Worked Examples

Example 1, Convert 6 feet 0 inches to centimetres (a common height conversion).

1. Convert the height to total inches: 6 ft × 12 + 0 in = 72 in.
2. Multiply by the exact centimetre factor: 72 × 2.54 = 182.88 cm.

A person who is 6 feet 0 inches tall is 182.88 cm tall, which is just under the 183 cm mark.

Example 2, Convert 100 metres to feet (a track distance).

1. Use the inverse factor: feet = metres ÷ 0.3048.
2. 100 ÷ 0.3048 = 328.0839895 ft.

100 metres on an outdoor running track is 328.084 ft, which is why indoor tracks of 200 m are roughly 656 ft, a useful reference for runners used to imperial distances.

Example 3, Convert 5 miles to kilometres (a road distance).

1. Convert miles to metres: 5 × 1609.344 = 8046.72 m.
2. Convert metres to kilometres: 8046.72 ÷ 1000 = 8.04672 km.

5 miles is 8.04672 km. A quick mental shortcut: 1 mile is roughly 1.6 km, so 5 miles is roughly 8 km, and the exact value lands at 8.047 km.

Example 4, Convert 10 yards to metres (an American football reference).

1. Apply the yard factor: 10 × 0.9144 = 9.144 m.

10 yards, the distance to a first down in American football, is 9.144 metres, just shy of 10 metres.

Example 5, Convert 25.4 mm to inches (a hardware spec).

1. Convert mm to metres: 25.4 × 0.001 = 0.0254 m.
2. Convert metres to inches: 0.0254 ÷ 0.0254 = 1 in exactly.

This is the design intent of the inch: 25.4 mm and 1 inch are the same length by definition. Hardware measurements, wrench sizes, and pipe diameters often pivot on this exact equivalence.

Where Feet & Meters Conversions Show Up

Length conversions between feet and metres come up in more everyday situations than most people realise. A short list of the most common domains:

• Construction and building trades. Floor plans are drawn in feet and inches in the United States, but building materials like insulation, drywall, and pipe are sold in metric dimensions globally. Converting between the two is a daily task on job sites that cross borders.
• Athletics and sports. Track events use metres for sprints (100 m, 200 m, 400 m) and miles for road races. Field events measure jump and throw distances in metres, while American football uses yards. Runners often want to know their pace in both systems.
• Aviation. Aircraft altitude is reported in feet worldwide for consistency, while runway length and visibility are often given in both feet and metres. Pilots and air traffic controllers convert fluently between the two on every flight.
• Surveying and civil engineering. Older land deeds in the US use feet and chains; modern surveying and GIS data are metric. Property line calculations often require switching between the two.
• Personal height and health. In the United States, height is reported in feet and inches (5 ft 10 in); in most of the rest of the world, it is reported in centimetres (178 cm). Travellers, medical forms, and online profiles often need both.
• Real estate and interior design. Floor area in the US is given in square feet; in most other countries it is in square metres. Converting a listing's square metres to square feet (or vice versa) is one of the most common conversion tasks on the web.
• Travel and navigation. Road signs in the US, UK, and a few other countries show miles; most of the world shows kilometres. Tourists and rental car drivers convert constantly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few pitfalls catch people out regularly when converting between feet and metres. Watch for these:

• Treating the conversion factor as approximate. Some online sources round 1 metre to 3.28 feet instead of using the exact 3.28083989501. For most purposes the rounded value is fine, but for engineering or surveying, the small error compounds over long distances.
• Mixing up the inverse direction. Multiplying when you should divide is the single most common conversion mistake. Remember: feet to metres is ×0.3048; metres to feet is ÷0.3048 (or ×3.28084).
• Converting area or volume with the linear factor. Square feet and square metres differ by a factor of (0.3048)² ≈ 0.0929, not 0.3048. Cubic feet and cubic metres differ by (0.3048)³ ≈ 0.0283. Using the linear factor for area or volume is wrong by an order of magnitude.
• Confusing the UK gallon with the US gallon. Not strictly a length conversion, but the same kind of UK-vs-US difference applies to volume. If you are converting recipe measurements or fuel economy, double-check which gallon or which foot is meant.
• Rounding intermediate steps. A chain of conversions (feet to metres to centimetres) becomes more accurate if you do the math in one step. Rounding the metre value before converting to centimetres introduces a small extra error.

Limitations and Assumptions

The feet and meters converter assumes the international definitions of the foot, inch, yard, and mile that were agreed in 1959. These are the same definitions used in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and most of the Commonwealth, and they have not changed. Older historical units, such as the Roman foot, the Greek foot, or the various medieval feet, were slightly different lengths and are not covered here. If you are working with historical or surveying records from before the 20th century, consult a specialist reference for the unit that was actually in use at the time.

The calculator also assumes a flat Earth for everyday length conversions. For long distances where curvature matters (intercontinental flights, geodesy), the path length and the great-circle distance differ; consult a geodesic reference for high-precision work.

Quick Reference

• Free to use: yes, no sign-up required.
• Privacy: all calculations run locally in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
• Units supported: millimetre, centimetre, metre, kilometre, inch, foot, yard, mile.
• Precision: results are shown to six significant figures, with automatic scientific notation for very small or very large values.
• Mobile friendly: the layout adapts to phones, tablets, and desktops.
• Offline: once the page has loaded, the calculator keeps working without a network connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many feet are in a metre?

Exactly 3.28083989501 feet, which is usually rounded to 3.28084 for everyday use. The factor is the inverse of 0.3048 metres per foot. Because both values are defined, there is no rounding error beyond the precision you choose to display.

How many metres are in a foot?

Exactly 0.3048 metres. This is the definition of the foot agreed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa in the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.

How many centimetres are in an inch?

Exactly 2.54 centimetres. Like the foot, this is a definition, not a measured quantity. There is no approximation involved.

How many feet are in a mile?

Exactly 5280 feet. A mile is 8 furlongs, a furlong is 10 chains, a chain is 22 yards, and a yard is 3 feet, 8 × 10 × 22 × 3 = 5280.

How many metres are in a mile?

Exactly 1609.344 metres. This comes from 5280 ft × 0.3048 m/ft = 1609.344 m exactly.

How do I convert height from feet and inches to centimetres?

Convert the height to total inches by multiplying feet by 12 and adding inches. Then multiply total inches by 2.54 to get centimetres. For example, 5 ft 9 in is (5 × 12 + 9) = 69 inches, which is 69 × 2.54 = 175.26 cm.

Are UK feet and US feet the same length?

Yes. Since 1959, the UK and US have used identical definitions for the foot, inch, yard, and mile. Any older difference was resolved by the International Yard and Pound Agreement, which fixed 1 yard = 0.9144 metres exactly.

Can I use this converter for square feet or cubic feet?

No. Square feet and cubic feet are area and volume units, and they convert with the square and cube of the linear factor. Use a dedicated area or volume converter for those calculations.

References

• NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), which lists the exact conversion factors for the inch, foot, yard, and mile in metres.
• Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, which defines the metre as the base unit of length in the SI.
• ISO 80000-3:2006, Quantities and units, Part 3: Space and time, the international standard for length and related quantities.
• National Geodetic Survey (NGS), Units of Length reference page, which documents the US adoption of the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
• The International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959, signed by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, which standardised the inch, foot, yard, and pound at 1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly.

Q: Can the Feet Meters Converter be used for professional or commercial purposes? A: Yes, the Feet Meters Converter provides mathematically correct results that are suitable for professional, commercial, and educational use. For the Feet Meters Converter, For the Feet Meters Converter, For high-stakes applications (medical, legal, financial), verify results with a domain expert. For the Feet Meters Converter, the Feet Meters Converter formulas used are well-established and validated against reference standards.

Q: How often are the Feet Meters Converter formulas updated? A: the Feet Meters Converter formulas are based on established scientific, mathematical, or industry-standard references and rarely require updates. When standards change (e.g., new physical constants, revised tax brackets, updated standards), the Feet Meters Converter is updated to reflect the current authoritative source. For the Feet Meters Converter, For the Feet Meters Converter, Each calculator's references section lists the specific sources used.