Convert centimeters to feet and inches instantly. This free cm to feet and inches converter turns any cm value into feet and inches, with total inches and metres in the breakdown.
Enter a length in centimetres to convert it to feet and inches. 1 inch = 2.54 cm, and 12 inches = 1 foot.
To convert centimetres to feet and inches: divide cm by 2.54 to get total inches, take the whole number of 12-inch groups as feet, and the remainder as inches. For example, 170 cm ÷ 2.54 ≈ 66.9 inches = 5 feet 6.9 inches.
Avoiding Height Mix-Ups with a CM to Feet and Inches Converter
Converting centimetres to a single unit is straightforward. Converting to two units at once, feet plus leftover inches, is where most errors happen, especially with heights on forms, dating profiles and medical records.
Decimal feet are not feet and inches
Dividing 170 cm by 30.48 gives about 5.58 feet. That does not mean 5 feet 58 inches, or 5 feet 5.8 inches. The decimal part is a fraction of a foot, so 0.58 × 12 gives about 6.9 inches, making the height roughly 5 feet 7 inches. Likewise, 5.7 feet is about 5 feet 8.4 inches, not 5 feet 7. Mixing the two formats is the single most common height mistake.
- Round only the inches. Work out total inches (cm ÷ 2.54), take whole feet, then round the remainder once.
- Watch for 12 inches. If rounding gives 5 ft 12 in, write it as 6 ft 0 in.
- Measure carefully. Stand barefoot against a wall with heels together, and measure in the morning if you want your fullest height; people are slightly taller after sleep.
- Keep the original centimetre figure on records where precision matters.
Handy reference heights
160 cm is about 5 ft 3 in, 170 cm about 5 ft 7 in, 180 cm about 5 ft 11 in, and 183 cm is about 6 ft 0 in. If your result is far from these anchors for a similar input, check that you did not type metres or millimetres.
Official documents can follow their own conventions. Some forms ask for height rounded to the nearest inch, others to the nearest half inch, and many medical systems record centimetres only. Follow the form’s instructions rather than guessing, and when a clinic or sports body records your height, ask which unit they use so later comparisons are like for like. Children’s growth is tracked in small increments, so for them the centimetre value is the one to keep.
The foot is defined as exactly 12 inches, or 30.48 cm; the foot unit article on Wikipedia explains that definition, which is what a cm to feet and inches converter relies on.