Tools To India

Length Converter

Convert a length between metric and imperial units. All conversions run through the metre, so they are exact.

Last updated

The result updates as you type. Nothing you enter is saved, sent to a server or shared.

1 Metre (m) equals

3.28084 Foot (ft)

The same value in every length unit

Millimetre (mm)
1,000
Centimetre (cm)
100
Metre (m)
1
Kilometre (km)
0.001
Inch (in)
39.370079
Foot (ft)
3.28084
Yard (yd)
1.093613
Mile (mi)
0.000621
Nautical mile
0.00054
  • All conversions go through the metre as a common base, so the result is the same whichever pair you choose.

How this calculator works

Every length unit here is defined by exactly how many metres it equals, and those definitions are exact rather than approximate. An inch is precisely 0.0254 metres by international agreement, which makes a foot exactly 0.3048 metres and a mile exactly 1,609.344 metres.

Converting between any two units is therefore two operations: multiply by the source unit’s factor to reach metres, then divide by the target unit’s factor. Going via a common base means one table covers every possible pair without accumulating rounding errors.

India adopted the metric system as its legal standard under the Legal Metrology Act, so official measurements, road signs and product labelling all use metres and kilometres. Imperial units persist in everyday speech, particularly for a person’s height in feet and inches and for property in square feet.

The formula

Every conversion, in two steps

value in metre = value × factor(from) result = value in metre ÷ factor(to)

Each unit is defined by how many metres it equals. Converting via that common base means one table of factors covers every possible pair, and no conversion is ever more than two multiplications away from exact.

Worked example: 5 feet 7 inches in centimetres

Converting a height commonly stated in feet and inches into the centimetres a form asks for.

Step-by-step calculation for the worked example
Total inches (5 × 12 + 7)67 inches
Inches to metres (× 0.0254)1.7018 m
Metres to centimetres (× 100)170.18 cm
Rounded for a form170 cm

5 feet 7 inches is 170.18 cm, usually written as 170 cm. The conversion is exact because an inch is defined as exactly 0.0254 metres.

Things worth knowing

  • The inch has been defined as exactly 0.0254 metres since 1959, so imperial-to-metric length conversions are exact, not approximate.
  • A nautical mile is 1,852 metres exactly and is used for sea and air navigation. It is not the same as a statute mile.
  • Indian road distances and official measurements use kilometres and metres under the Legal Metrology Act.
  • For property, square feet and square yards are area units, not length. Use the area section of the all-in-one unit converter.

Frequently asked questions

How many centimetres are in a foot?
Exactly 30.48 centimetres, because a foot is twelve inches and an inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres.
How do I convert my height from feet and inches to centimetres?
Multiply the feet by 12, add the inches to get total inches, then multiply by 2.54. For 5 feet 7 inches: (5 × 12) + 7 = 67 inches, × 2.54 = 170.18 cm.
Is a mile the same everywhere?
The statute mile used on land is 1,609.344 metres everywhere it is used. A nautical mile is different — 1,852 metres — and is used for navigation at sea and in the air.

Sources

Every figure on this page is traceable to the official source below. If a source has changed since the date shown, please tell us and we will correct it.