| Millimeters | 304.8 mm |
| Centimeters | 30.48 cm |
| Meters | 0.3048 m |
| Kilometers | 0.0003048 km |
| Inches | 12 in |
| Feet | 1 ft |
| Yards | 0.333333 yd |
| Miles | 0.000189394 mi |
Common length conversions
How to use the Length Converter
- 1Type the length you want to convert into the Value box.
- 2Choose the unit you are converting from in the From list.
- 3Choose the unit you want in the To list, or press the swap button to reverse the direction.
- 4Read the converted value in the highlighted box.
- 5Check the table below it to see the same length in all eight units.
Exact conversion factors
Since the international yard and pound agreement of 1959, imperial lengths have been defined in terms of the meter. One inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, one foot is exactly 0.3048 meters, one yard is exactly 0.9144 meters, and one mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters. Within the metric system, each step is a power of ten: 10 mm in a centimeter, 100 cm in a meter and 1,000 m in a kilometer.
The converter first turns your value into meters and then into the target unit, using these exact factors. Results are shown with up to six decimal places and trailing zeros removed, so whole-number answers such as 1 foot = 12 inches stay clean. You can find tools for other quantities on our unit converters page.
How to convert length by hand
To convert between two units, multiply by the size of the starting unit and divide by the size of the target unit. For example, 6 feet × 0.3048 = 1.8288 meters. To go from centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54: a height of 180 cm is 180 ÷ 2.54 ≈ 70.87 inches, or about 5 feet 10.87 inches.
For distances, 5 miles × 1.609344 = 8.04672 kilometers, and a 10 km race is 10 ÷ 1.609344 ≈ 6.21371 miles. A marathon of 42.195 km works out to about 26.22 miles. When you need a quick mental estimate, 1 meter is a little over 3 feet 3 inches, and 1 kilometer is about five-eighths of a mile.
Metric and imperial units in everyday use
Most of the world measures length in metric units, while the United States still uses inches, feet, yards and miles for most everyday purposes. The United Kingdom mixes both: road distances are in miles, but building materials are usually sold in millimeters and meters. Our guide to metric vs imperial units explains where each system is used and how to switch between them confidently.
Height is a common reason to convert. Health tools often ask for height in a specific unit, although our BMI calculator accepts either centimeters or feet and inches directly.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters are in an inch?
Exactly 2.54 centimeters. This has been the official definition of the inch since 1959, so conversions between inches and centimeters are exact rather than approximate.
How do I convert feet and inches to centimeters?
Multiply the feet by 12, add the inches, and multiply the total by 2.54. For example, 5 ft 9 in is 69 inches, and 69 × 2.54 = 175.26 cm.
How many feet are in a mile?
There are 5,280 feet, or 1,760 yards, in a mile. That equals 63,360 inches and exactly 1,609.344 meters.
Is a meter longer than a yard?
Yes, slightly. One meter is about 1.0936 yards, or roughly 39.37 inches, while a yard is exactly 36 inches (0.9144 m).
Can I convert weight and temperature too?
Yes. Use the weight converter for kilograms, pounds, ounces and stone, and a separate temperature converter handles Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin.