How this calculator works
One centimetre is 0.01 m and one kilometre is 1,000 m. Their ratio is exactly one to 100,000. The intermediate metre and millimetre readouts help catch a misplaced decimal when moving between a small measurement and a long distance.
Formula
kilometres = centimetres / 100000; centimetres = kilometres x 100000.
Worked example
250,000 cm is 2.5 km, or 2,500 m. A distance of 0.0075 km is 750 cm.
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Frequently asked questions
Why divide by 100,000?
There are 100 centimetres per metre and 1,000 metres per kilometre, giving 100,000 centimetres per kilometre.
Is 100 cm one kilometre?
No. It is one metre, or 0.001 km.
Can I enter a fraction of a centimetre?
Yes. Positive decimal values are accepted, and zero remains zero in every unit.