How length conversion works
Every unit is defined as an exact multiple of the meter, so the calculator converts your value to meters and then to the unit you asked for. The international inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters, which fixes all the other imperial units:
| Unit | Exact value in meters |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 0.0254 m |
| 1 foot (12 in) | 0.3048 m |
| 1 yard (3 ft) | 0.9144 m |
| 1 mile (5,280 ft) | 1,609.344 m |
Handy conversions
- Centimeters to inches: divide by 2.54 (1 cm is about 0.3937 in)
- Inches to centimeters: multiply by 2.54
- Feet and inches to centimeters: convert everything to inches, then multiply by 2.54. Someone who is 5 ft 10 in is 70 in, or 177.8 cm.
- Miles to kilometers: multiply by 1.609344. A 26.2-mile marathon is about 42.16 km.
- Kilometers to miles: divide by 1.609344, or multiply by about 0.6214.
Common mistakes
Do not treat 5.83 feet as 5 feet 83 inches. A decimal foot is a fraction of 12 inches, so 5.83 ft is about 5 ft 10 in. Also make sure you know whether a source means a statute mile (1,609.344 m) or a nautical mile (1,852 m), since they are different.