How this calculator works
The height is first reduced to total inches. A centimetre is exactly 2.54 inches divided by 100, so inches = centimetres / 2.54. Metres, feet and inches all pass through the same conversion. In the feet-and-inches mode, the two fields are added as feet x 12 + inches, which avoids the ambiguity of a decimal feet value.
Formula
inches = centimetres / 2.54. inches = metres / 0.0254. inches = feet x 12 + inches entered. centimetres = inches x 2.54. A bare height of 5.9 ft means 5.9 feet, not 5 ft 9 in.
Worked example
170 cm = 66.9291 in = 5 ft 6.93 in. 5 ft 7 in = 67 in = 170.18 cm. 1.8 m = 180 cm = 70.8661 in.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does 5.9 feet not mean 5 feet 9 inches?
A decimal value such as 5.9 ft is 5.9 feet, which is 5 ft 10.8 in. Enter feet and inches in separate fields when you mean a mixed measurement.
Is the inch exactly 2.54 centimetres?
Yes. The international inch has been defined as exactly 0.0254 m, or 2.54 cm, since 1959. The conversion is a legal definition rather than a measurement.
How is human height usually reported in Canada?
Canadian health records usually use centimetres or metres, while many people still describe their height in feet and inches. This page converts both ways so the numbers can be compared.