Height converter: feet to cm

Built by Nitin Raja · Last updated October 24, 2026

How to convert height from feet to cm

Height is one of the few measurements people still give in two systems. Most of the world uses centimetres, while the US - and many people in the UK, Canada and India - still think in feet and inches. This height converter turns one into the other as you type, but the maths is simple enough to do in your head once you know it.

There are exactly 2.54 centimetres in an inch and 12 inches in a foot, so one foot is 30.48 cm. To convert a height in feet to cm:

1. Turn the whole height into inches: feet × 12 + inches.
2. Multiply by 2.54.

For 5′ 10″: 5 × 12 = 60, plus 10 = 70 inches. 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm. For 6′ 0″: 72 inches × 2.54 = 182.9 cm. That's all a height calculator in feet to cm does behind the scenes.

How to convert cm to feet and inches

Going the other way takes one extra step, because you need to split the result into feet and leftover inches:

1. Divide the height in cm by 2.54 to get inches.
2. Divide by 12. The whole number is feet.
3. Multiply the remainder by 12 (or subtract feet × 12 from the total inches) to get the inches.

For 170 cm: 170 ÷ 2.54 = 66.9 inches. 66.9 ÷ 12 = 5 feet with 6.9 inches left over, so 170 cm is 5′ 6.9″ - most people would round that to 5′ 7″. For 160 cm: 63 inches, which is exactly 5′ 3″.

How to convert cm to inches

If you only need inches - for a form, a clothing size or a sports profile - divide centimetres by 2.54. 180 cm is 70.9 inches; 150 cm is 59.1 inches. To go from inches to cm, multiply by 2.54.

Common heights in cm and feet

The full height in cm chart above goes from 4′ 6″ to 7′ 2″ in one-inch steps. Tap any height to see which celebrities are exactly that tall.

The most common mistake: 5.10 is not 5′ 10″

People often write their height as "5.10" or "5.6", meaning 5 feet 10 inches or 5 feet 6 inches. But a calculator reads 5.10 as five and one-tenth feet, which is only 5′ 1.2″ (155.4 cm) - more than 22 cm short. Always convert feet and inches separately, or use a tool that understands the format. The converter above avoids the problem with separate feet and inches boxes, and the single height boxes elsewhere on this site (like the one on the height comparison chart) read "5.10" as 5′ 10″, because that's what people mean.

Why we built this height converter

Height is one of the few measurements most people still give in two systems, and the conversion goes wrong in a predictable way. People write 5′ 10″ as "5.10", and an ordinary calculator reads that as 5.1 feet, which is more than 22 cm short. We wanted a converter with separate feet and inches boxes, so the "5.10" mistake cannot happen, that updates both ways as you type, and a chart you can read without typing anything at all.

How we calculate it

The converter uses the exact definitions: 1 inch = 2.54 cm, as fixed by the international yard and pound agreement of 1959, and 12 inches = 1 foot. The code does exactly this:

• Feet and inches to cm: (feet x 12 + inches) x 2.54, shown to 0.1 cm.
• Cm to feet and inches: cm / 2.54 gives inches; the whole number of twelves is feet and the rest is inches, rounded to 0.1 inch (so 170 cm shows as 5′ 6.9″, not rounded up to 5′ 7″ before you see it).
• The result line also gives metres (cm / 100) and total inches, and the chart lists every inch from 4′ 6″ to 7′ 2″.

Last checked 24 October 2026. What it does not do: it does not measure you (the camera button does that), and it does not round to the format a particular form wants. For forms, round to whole centimetres or whole inches yourself.

Why this height converter is different

• Both directions in one place, updating as you type.
• It starts empty: no sample height is filled in, and the result line stays blank until you type your own.
• No "5.10" trap, because feet and inches are typed separately.
• One decimal shown, so you see the real value before deciding how to round.
• Measure first if you need to: the camera button measures your height with live AR in the browser, and the result fills the converter.
• The chart links many of its heights to the celebrities who are that tall. Free, no account.

How precise should a height conversion be?

Round to the nearest centimetre or half inch. Your height changes by about a centimetre between morning and evening as the discs in your spine compress, so quoting 177.8 cm to a decimal place is more precise than the measurement itself. Official forms usually want whole centimetres; US forms usually want feet and whole inches.

Which countries use feet and which use cm?

The United States uses feet and inches for height almost everywhere. The UK uses both: doctors record centimetres, but most people describe themselves in feet and inches. Canada and Australia are officially metric, yet feet and inches are still common in everyday speech. India records height in cm on documents, while people often say it in feet. Almost everywhere else - Europe, Latin America, most of Asia and Africa - height is simply in centimetres or metres (1.78 m).

Height on forms, passports and profiles

Different forms want different formats. US driving licences and many American job, sports and dating profiles use feet and inches. Passports, visas, medical records and most international forms want centimetres. A few, like some sports registrations, want metres to two decimals. Convert once, write down both versions - for example 5′ 10″ = 178 cm = 1.78 m - and you'll never have to work it out on the spot again.

Height in metres

Some countries and sports give height in metres: 1.78 m is the same as 178 cm. To get metres from centimetres, divide by 100. To get metres from feet and inches, convert to cm first and then divide by 100 - 6′ 0″ is 182.9 cm, or 1.83 m.

Don't know your height at all?

Converting only helps if the starting number is right. If you haven't measured yourself in years - many adults haven't - tap Measure my height instead and your phone camera will measure you in about 30 seconds, then show the result in both feet and centimetres. From there you can see how you compare with the average height, find your celebrity height twin, or check your BMI.