Foot to Centimeter Converter
This converter turns feet and inches into centimetres and metres using the exact factor of 30.48 centimetres per foot, useful whenever you need to compare a height, length, or building measurement given in imperial units against New Zealand's standard metric system. You enter your measurement one of two ways: choose "feet and inches" and type a whole number of feet plus 0 to 11 inches, for example 5 ft 10 in, or switch to "decimal feet" and enter a single value such as 6.5 ft. As you type, the calculator works out the total inches and equivalent decimal feet, then returns your result in centimetres and metres, alongside a breakdown showing your input, total inches, total feet, and result tiles for feet, inches, centimetres and metres. Below the calculator, a reference table lists common heights from 4 ft 0 in to 7 ft 0 in with matching decimal feet, total inches, centimetres and metres, and highlights whichever row matches your entry. Because 1 inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres, every figure returned is an exact conversion, not a rounded estimate, so you can rely on it for medical forms, building plans, or checking a height quoted in feet against New Zealand's metric standard. Use the feet and inches mode for personal height, and decimal feet for surveying or engineering figures already expressed as a single decimal number.
1. Enter Your Measurement
2. Result
Common Heights and Lengths Reference Table
| Feet and Inches | Decimal Feet | Total Inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|
How to Convert Feet to Centimetres
The conversion from feet to centimetres uses the exact factor of 30.48 centimetres per foot. This is not an approximation: in 1959 the international yard and pound agreement defined 1 inch as exactly 2.54 centimetres. Since there are 12 inches in a foot, 1 foot = 12 x 2.54 = 30.48 cm exactly.
Formula
cm = feet x 30.48
If you have feet and inches together, convert everything to inches first, then multiply by 2.54:
cm = (feet x 12 + inches) x 2.54
Equivalently: cm = feet x 30.48 + inches x 2.54
Worked Example (Default Values)
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Input | 6 feet 0 inches | 6 ft 0 in |
| Total inches | 6 x 12 + 0 | 72 inches |
| Convert to cm | 72 x 2.54 | 182.88 cm |
| Convert to m | 182.88 / 100 | 1.8288 m |
A person who is 6 feet tall is exactly 182.88 cm, or 1.8288 metres tall.
Common Conversions
| Imperial | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 152.40 cm | 1.524 m |
| 5 ft 4 in | 162.56 cm | 1.626 m |
| 5 ft 6 in | 167.64 cm | 1.676 m |
| 5 ft 8 in | 172.72 cm | 1.727 m |
| 5 ft 10 in | 177.80 cm | 1.778 m |
| 6 ft 0 in | 182.88 cm | 1.829 m |
| 6 ft 2 in | 187.96 cm | 1.880 m |
| 6 ft 4 in | 193.04 cm | 1.930 m |
Feet and Inches in New Zealand
New Zealand adopted the metric system in stages during the 1970s. Centimetres and metres are the official standard for height, length, and distance in medical, scientific, and government contexts. However, feet and inches remain common in everyday conversation, particularly for personal height. Many New Zealanders know their height in both feet-and-inches and centimetres, and both appear on driver licences issued before the metric changeover as well as in older property documents and building plans. When dealing with imported goods, US publications, or older measurements, converting between feet and centimetres is a frequent need.
Decimal Feet vs Feet and Inches
Some contexts (especially surveying, engineering drawings, and US real estate) express lengths in decimal feet rather than feet and inches. For example, 6.5 ft means 6 feet and 6 inches (because 0.5 x 12 = 6 inches). To convert decimal feet to cm, simply multiply by 30.48. For example: 6.5 ft x 30.48 = 198.12 cm. The calculator above supports both formats.
Related Calculators
- Essential Calculators: full collection of converters and tools.
- cm to Feet and Inches Converter: reverse conversion from centimetres back to feet and inches.
- cm to m Converter: convert centimetres to metres.
- Yards to Meters Conversion: convert yards to metres.
- Area Conversion Calculator: convert between square feet, square metres, and other area units.
Sources and method: International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). International yard and pound agreement (1959), defining 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly. Therefore 1 foot = 12 x 2.54 = 30.48 cm exactly. Conversion factor is exact with no rounding error.