Meters to Feet Converter

The meters to feet converter is a fast, exact length conversion tool that moves a measurement between metres and international feet in both directions. Type a number in either field and the other updates live, with no rounding ambiguity and no measurement uncertainty, because the relationship between the two units is defined, not measured. The result panel also shows the equivalent in inches and centimetres because floor plans, altimeter readings, and human-height tables almost always mix those units together. It is built for the everyday situations where you are handed a metric length and need the imperial reading (or vice versa): a 120 m apartment building listed in a US brochure, a 6 ft height on a medical form, a 30 m garden plot, a 100 ft aviation altimeter site, a 1.8288 m body measurement that needs to be read against an imperial sizing chart, a 5280 ft mile on a road sign, or a 10 m room quoted in feet for an American contractor.

The converter assumes the modern international foot, which has been exactly 0.3048 metres since 1 July 1959. Before that date the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth countries each used slightly different "feet" inherited from older Imperial standards, and conversions between national feet could differ by a few parts per hundred thousand. The international yard and pound agreement of 1959 unified those values; today every legally defined foot in commerce, science, and engineering equals exactly 0.3048 m. This converter uses that value, so every answer it produces is correct under modern law and modern standards.

How to Use the Meters to Feet Converter

1. Type the numeric value you want to convert into the Metres field or the Feet field. Decimal values are accepted, including sub-metre values such as 0.5 m or 12.75 m, and small foot values such as 0.25 ft or 0.125 ft.
2. For the Meters to Feet Converter, The opposite field updates automatically as you type. For the Meters to Feet Converter, The update is recomputed on every keystroke, so the panel always reflects the latest value.
3. Read the Current value row to see both sides of the conversion displayed together, for example 1 m = 3.28084 ft.
4. Read the Show your work row to see the conversion written out step-by-step as <value> m × 3.28084 = <value> ft, so you can paste the math into a calculation sheet or a homework solution without retyping it.
5. Use the ⇄ swap button when you want to flip the orientation: the value in the feet field moves to the metres field and vice versa. This is useful if you have an answer in the "wrong" unit and want to keep the rest of the page oriented in your preferred unit.
6. Read the bonus Inches and Centimetres read-outs for the equivalent value in the units you are most likely to want alongside the primary pair.
7. Use the Quick presets (metres and feet rows) to jump to one of the common everyday values (1 m, 10 m, 100 m, 1.8288 m, 1 ft, 6 ft, 100 ft, 5280 ft) and read the equivalent value at full six-decimal precision.
8. Click Copy m, Copy ft, or Copy result to put the value on the clipboard, then paste it into a document, email, or spreadsheet.

the Meters to Feet Converter runs entirely in the browser. For the Meters to Feet Converter, Inputs are not stored, not transmitted, and not associated with any account.

The Formulas

The single conversion factor that drives this tool is:

1 foot = exactly 0.3048 metres

This is the value published in NIST Special Publication 811 (the SI Units Guide), in §2.3.3 of the BIPM SI Brochure (9th edition), and in the UK Weights and Measures Act 1985. It is exact because the international yard was defined in 1959 as exactly 0.9144 metres, and the international foot is one third of that yard. No rounding is involved: 0.9144 m / 3 = 0.3048 m exactly.

From that single equality, the two working formulas fall out by elementary algebra:

To convert metres to feet:

feet = metres × (1 foot / 0.3048 metres)

The dimensionless fraction (1 ft / 0.3048 m) equals exactly 3.28083989501... (the decimal repeats the digits 032 because 1 / 0.3048 has a short decimal period). A useful rounded form is 3.28084, accurate to about 4 parts in 10 million, which is more than enough for everyday work.

To convert feet to metres:

metres = feet × 0.3048 m/ft

The number 0.3048 has no fraction to keep track of: 5 ft is exactly 1.524 m, 10 ft is exactly 3.048 m, and 100 ft is exactly 30.48 m. Anything expressed in feet can be converted to metres by multiplying by 0.3048 and moving the decimal point.

The two formulas are exact inverses. If you convert a metre value to feet and then back to metres, you get the original value to machine precision (about 15 significant digits in JavaScript's IEEE 754 doubles). For the Meters to Feet Converter, There is no drift and no accumulated error from repeated round-trips, because the factor is exact.

If you want a rough mental shortcut, remember that 1 m ≈ 3.28 ft (close enough for a quick sanity check) and that 10 m ≈ 32.8 ft. For more precision, remember that 30 m = 98.4252 ft and 100 m = 328.084 ft, both are useful anchors because they correspond to common physical sizes (a 30 m swimming pool is just over 98 ft long, and 100 m is the length of a sprint straight on a standard outdoor running track).

The bonus inches and centimetres read-outs follow from two further definitions that are exact: 1 foot = 12 inches (by definition of the foot) and 1 metre = 100 centimetres (by SI definition of the centi prefix). So once the primary conversion is known, the secondary read-outs are pure multiplication with no rounding error.

Worked Examples

Example 1, 1 m. The single metre is exactly 1 × (1 / 0.3048) = 3.28083989501... feet, usually rounded to 3.28084 ft. So 1 m = 3.28084 ft (five-decimal precision), which is just over three feet and a third, close to a yardstick plus a third of a yardstick.

Example 2, 10 m. 10 m × (1 / 0.3048) = 10 / 0.3048 = 32.8083989501... ft, rounded to 32.8084 ft. This is a typical room width in a small house or apartment. A builder quoting a 10 m × 12 m room would be describing a 32.8084 ft × 39.3701 ft space.

Example 3, 100 m. 100 m × (1 / 0.3048) = 100 / 0.3048 = 328.0839895... ft, rounded to 328.084 ft. This is the length of a sprint straight on a standard outdoor running track; the same straight quoted for an American audience would be 328.084 ft, just shy of a tenth of a mile (which would be 528 ft).

Example 4, 6 ft person. A person who is 6 feet tall is 6 × 0.3048 = 1.8288 m exactly. So 6 ft = 1.8288 m. This is the value used in many medical forms, driver-license applications, and online dating profiles that toggle between the metric and imperial height systems. The same person could be quoted as 5 ft 11.9 in if the height were rounded to the nearest tenth of an inch.

Example 5, 100 ft aviation altimeter site. The standard FAA altimeter-building height is exactly 100 ft = 100 × 0.3048 = 30.48 m. This is the canonical site elevation reference used worldwide for aviation altimeter setting tables. If you see an aviation document that says "field elevation 100 ft" you can read that as exactly 30.48 m with no rounding ambiguity.

Example 6, one mile. One international statute mile is exactly 5280 ft = 5280 × 0.3048 = 1609.344 m. So 1 mile = 1609.344 m exactly. This is the basis of the road-race distance "1609 m" (a marathon is 42.195 km, which is 26 miles and 385 yards), and of the standard conversion between statute miles and nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1852 m, so 1 statute mile = 1609.344 / 1852 ≈ 0.86898 nautical miles).

Example 7, round-trip check. Take 30.48 m. Divide by 0.3048 to get 100 ft exactly. Multiply 100 ft by 0.3048 to get 30.48 m exactly. The round trip returns the same value to machine precision, which is the formal proof that the two formulas are exact inverses.

Where It Shows Up

Metre-to-foot conversions appear in a surprising number of everyday settings, almost always at the boundary between a metric source and an imperial consumer (or vice versa).

Real estate and architecture. Floor plans in the United States are published in feet and inches; the same building in Europe, Asia, and most of the rest of the world is published in metres. A 1200 square-foot apartment is about 111.5 m² (the 0.092903 m²/ft² factor is exact). Lot dimensions in suburban developments on the US East Coast and West Coast are typically quoted in feet, while the same parcels in Canadian, Australian, and continental-European markets are quoted in metres. A 50 ft lot frontage is 15.24 m; a 10 m × 20 m building plot is 32.8084 ft × 65.6168 ft.

Aviation. Altimeter readings are quoted in feet worldwide for flight levels, while airfield elevation and runway length are increasingly quoted in metres for international operators. The standard FAA altimeter-building height is exactly 100 ft = 30.48 m, used to calibrate altimeter-setting tables. Flight level FL350 is 35 000 ft = 10 668 m. ICAO publishes transition altitudes in feet and transition levels in metres to keep aircraft in the right unit near airports. Runway 09L/27R at many international airports is documented as 12 000 ft × 197 ft (3657.6 m × 60.0456 m), the same runway described differently for different readers.

Construction. Ceiling heights, stud spacings, beam lengths, and drywall sheets still default to feet and inches in North American carpentry and to millimetres or metres elsewhere. A standard 8 ft ceiling is exactly 2.4384 m; a standard 2.44 m ceiling is exactly 8.0052 ft. Studs are typically spaced at 16 in = 1.3333 ft = 0.4064 m on centre. Lumber is sold in 2 × 4, 2 × 6, and 2 × 8 nominal sizes (the actual cross-sections are 1.5 in × 3.5 in = 38.1 mm × 88.9 mm for a "2 × 4") in North America and in 38 × 89 mm, 38 × 140 mm, and 38 × 184 mm metric sizes everywhere else.

Human height. Medical forms, passport applications, dating profiles, and clothing charts round-trip between centimetres and feet-plus-inches for body height. A 1.8288 m person is 6 ft 0 in exactly. A 1.75 m person is 5 ft 8.8976 in, usually rounded to 5 ft 9 in for everyday use. A 5 ft 4 in person is 4 × 12 + 4 = 64 in = 64 × 2.54 cm = 162.56 cm ≈ 1.626 m. Pilots, athletes, and military personnel must meet height thresholds in both unit systems depending on the issuing country.

Sport. Track events, swimming pool lengths, ski-jump distances, sailing handicaps, and horse-race distances all bridge the two systems. The 100 m sprint is the standard outdoor race; the 100-yard dash (91.44 m exactly) is the standard indoor American sprint. A 25 m pool is 82.021 ft long; a 25-yard pool is 22.86 m exactly. The K-factor in ski jumping is computed in metres per second. America's Cup sailing handicap rules convert boat speeds between knots (nautical miles per hour) and statute miles per hour using the 1 nm = 1852 m / 1609.344 m/statute-mile = 1.15078 statute miles/h per knot ratio.

Engineering and machining. Drawings for parts manufactured in continental Europe are published in millimetres and metres, while drawings for parts manufactured in the United States are published in inches and feet. A 0.3048 m shaft is exactly 1 ft long; a 12 in = 1 ft shaft is 304.8 mm. Engineers converting tolerances between the two systems need exact values to avoid the 1.6 percent error that comes from using 0.3 m or 12 in approximate roundings.

Surveying and mapping. Older US land surveys referenced the US survey foot of 1200/3937 m = 0.3048006096 m, which is about 2 parts per million larger than the international foot. The US survey foot was effectively retired on 1 January 2023 in favour of the international foot for most US federal surveying applications. Modern US plats and GIS data use the international 0.3048 m exactly, so the same parcel appears as the same shape in NAD 83 / international-foot data as in any metric datum.

Common Mistakes

Rounding 0.3048 to 0.3. Using 1 ft ≈ 0.3 m introduces an error of about 1.6 percent (the true ratio is 0.3048, not 0.3). On a 100 ft measurement this is 1.6 ft off, enough to mis-size a curtain, a fence, or a piece of furniture. Always use the exact 0.3048 factor.

Rounding the foot-to-metre factor the other way. Using 1 m ≈ 3 ft introduces the same 1.6 percent error in the other direction. Use 3.28084 (or 3.28083989501 for higher precision).

Mixing international and survey feet. The US survey foot is defined as 1200/3937 metres, which is 0.3048006096 m, not 0.3048 m. It is used only for land surveying in the United States and only for measurements referenced to NAD 27 datum. For everyday length conversions (the scope of this tool), use the international foot of 0.3048 m exactly.

Confusing the diagonal of a screen with its width or height. A 50-inch TV screen has a 50-inch diagonal, but its width and height are roughly 43.7 in × 24.6 in for a 16:9 panel (110.9 cm × 62.5 cm). The metre-to-foot conversion only converts the length itself.

Forgetting that 1 yard = 3 feet = 0.9144 m exactly. When converting a length like 2 yards to metres, remember that 1 yard is exactly 0.9144 m and 1 foot is exactly 0.3048 m. So 2 yd = 2 × 0.9144 = 1.8288 m exactly. Do not multiply 6 ft by 0.3048 and forget that the original was 2 yd, not 6 ft.

Adding feet and metres as if they were the same unit. A common error in mixed-unit construction is to write "10 m + 5 ft" without converting. 5 ft = 1.524 m exactly, so 10 m + 5 ft = 11.524 m, not 15 of anything. Always convert to a single unit before adding or subtracting.

Forgetting the sign on negative inputs. The converter accepts only non-negative inputs by default (the input has min="0"). If you need to convert a negative direction vector or a depth below sea level, use the absolute value and re-apply the sign afterwards. Length itself is non-negative; signed values are reserved for vectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1 foot exactly 0.3048 metres? Yes. The international yard and pound agreement of 1959 defined the international yard as exactly 0.9144 metres, which makes the international foot exactly one third of a yard, i.e. 0.3048 metres. NIST SP 811, the BIPM SI Brochure §2.3.3, and the UK Weights and Measures Act 1985 all cite this exact value. There is no rounding error in the conversion factor.

How many metres are in a foot again? Exactly 0.3048 m. For rough mental math, 1 ft is about 0.3 m plus a fingernail's worth (about 2 percent), or just over a third of a ruler's length. For exact work, use 0.3048.

How do I convert feet to metres in my head? A useful trick: 100 ft is exactly 30.48 m (a little over 30 m). So 1 ft is about 0.3 m, 10 ft is about 3.05 m, and 50 ft is about 15.24 m. For a quick estimate, divide the feet by 3 and call the result "approximately this many metres", but remember the estimate is 1.6 percent too low. For the inverse, multiply metres by 3.28 for a quick mental metres → feet estimate.

How many feet is 1 metre? 1 m = 1 / 0.3048 ft = 3.28083989501... ft. Rounded to five decimal places, 1 m = 3.28084 ft. Rounded to two decimal places, 1 m ≈ 3.28 ft. Rounded to the nearest foot, 1 m ≈ 3 ft.

Why are buildings measured in feet in the US but in metres in Europe? Different countries adopted different conventions at different times. The United States retained the English foot from British colonial usage. Although the Metric Act of 1866 legalised the metric system and the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 encouraged voluntary metrication, the US has never made the metric system mandatory for everyday commerce, real estate, or construction. Most European countries switched to metric during the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result, US real-estate listings, construction plans, and interior dimensions are still in feet and inches, while the rest of the world uses metres, and converting between them is a daily task for international architects, contractors, and property buyers.

What about the US survey foot? The US survey foot is defined as 1200 / 3937 metres, which is exactly 0.3048006096 m, about 2 parts per million larger than the international foot. It was used for geodetic surveying referenced to the NAD 27 datum and was effectively retired on 1 January 2023 in favour of the international foot for most US federal surveying applications. For everyday length conversions (real estate, construction, body measurements, aviation), the international foot of 0.3048 m is correct.

How tall is a 6-foot person in metres? 6 ft = 6 × 0.3048 = 1.8288 m exactly. So a 6-foot person is 1.8288 m tall. This is the value used in many medical forms, driver-license applications, and online dating profiles that toggle between the metric and imperial height systems. For the closest centimetre, 1.83 m; for a rounded metric reading, 1.8 m.

How many metres is a mile? One international statute mile is exactly 5280 ft = 5280 × 0.3048 = 1609.344 m. So 1 mile = 1609.344 m exactly. This is the basis of the road-race distance "1609 m" (a marathon is 42.195 km, which is 26 miles and 385 yards), and of the standard conversion between statute miles and nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1852 m, so 1 statute mile = 1609.344 / 1852 ≈ 0.86898 nautical miles).

Can I use this converter for engineering or aviation calculations? Yes, the factor is exact, so any engineering, aviation, surveying, or scientific calculation that uses the international foot gets the same result you would get from any reference text. For commercial aviation altimetry, the FAA, ICAO, and EASA all use the international foot of 0.3048 m exactly. For US land surveying on legacy NAD 27 data, the US survey foot of 0.3048006096 m is still in effect for those specific records, but that is a separate tool, not this one.

Is the metre-to-foot conversion ever approximate? No. The conversion factor is exact by international definition. The only source of error in any displayed number is how many decimal places the converter (or the reader) chooses to keep. To six decimal places, 1 m = 3.280840 ft, which is more than 0.1 mm of precision and exceeds the readability of any tape measure.

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

For the Meters to Feet Converter, How often are the underlying formulas updated? For the Meters to Feet Converter, the Meters to Feet 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 Meters to Feet Converter is updated to reflect the current authoritative source. For the Meters to Feet Converter, For the Meters to Feet Converter, Each calculator's references section lists the specific sources used.

References

• NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the SI Units. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference for SI usage. Annex B lists 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly as the conversion factor for the international foot, derived from the 1959 international yard (0.9144 m exactly) divided by 3.
• BIPM SI Brochure, 9th edition (2019). For the Meters to Feet Converter, Published by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. Section 2.3.3 on non-SI units accepted for use with the SI cites the international yard (0.9144 m) and the international foot (0.3048 m) as exact.
• International Yard and Pound Agreement, 1959. Signed on 1 July 1959 by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Fixed the international yard at exactly 0.9144 metres and the international foot at exactly 0.3048 metres, resolving small (~2 ppm) differences between the historical US and UK feet.
• Weights and Measures Act 1985 (UK). UK statute that adopts the 1959 yard and pound definitions for use within the United Kingdom and confirms the yard as exactly 0.9144 metres, the foot as exactly 0.3048 metres, and the international inch as exactly 0.0254 metres.
• IEEE/ASTM SI 10-2016, American National Standard for Metric Practice. Confirms 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly and warns against the older US survey foot in non-survey applications.
• ISO 80000-1:2009 / ISO 80000-3:2006, Quantities and units: Space and time. Lists the foot and the inch as non-SI units accepted for use with the SI, with 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly.