Length Conversion: Inches, Centimetres, Feet and Metres Reference
2025-09-18 3 min read
A complete reference for converting between metric and imperial length units. Includes the exact formulas, conversion factors, and a quick-reference table.
Length conversions are needed every day — reading foreign recipes (cm vs inches), understanding screen sizes (inches), planning construction (metres vs feet), or shopping online with international size charts. Here's the complete reference.
Metric Units
- 1 kilometre (km) = 1,000 metres
- 1 metre (m) = 100 centimetres
- 1 centimetre (cm) = 10 millimetres
- 1 millimetre (mm) = 0.1 cm = 0.001 m
Imperial/US Customary Units
- 1 mile = 1,760 yards = 5,280 feet
- 1 yard = 3 feet
- 1 foot = 12 inches
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm (exact, by definition)
Key Cross-System Conversions
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm
- 1 foot = 30.48 cm
- 1 metre = 39.37 inches = 3.281 feet
- 1 mile = 1.60934 km
Practical Reference Points
- Credit card: 85.6mm × 54mm (roughly 3.37 × 2.13 inches)
- A4 paper: 297mm × 210mm (11.7 × 8.27 inches)
- Standard door: typically 2m (6.5 feet) tall
- Football field: 100m (109 yards)
Height Conversion (Human Heights)
- 5 feet = 152.4 cm
- 5 feet 6 inches = 167.6 cm
- 6 feet = 182.88 cm
- 6 feet 2 inches = 187.96 cm
Convert any length unit with our Length Converter.