Height Converter
Convert a height between feet and inches and centimetres, exactly, written as 5 ft 10 in rather than 5.83 ft, with the inches never rounding to 12.
Result
In centimetres: 177.8 cm
Exact both ways; figures are rounded only for display.
- In feet and inches
- 5 ft 10 in
- In metres
- 1.778 m
- In inches
- 70
https://calcgallery.com/size-conversions/height-converter-calculator/
Unit conversions follow from exact definitions and published notation rules. Sizes follow published standards and are approximate: makers grade their own, so check their chart. Figures are rounded only for display. Read the full disclaimer
How to use the Height Converter
- Choose which way to convert.
- Enter the height in feet and inches, or in centimetres or metres.
- Read it in the other system, written the way heights are usually written.
The conversion
centimetres = (feet × 12 + inches) × 2.54inches = centimetres ÷ 2.54feet = whole number of 12-inch lots; the rest are inchesA height in feet and inches is a compound: two numbers in two units, and the second one never reaches 12. That is why a plain decimal answer such as 5.83 ft does not match how anyone reads a height, and why the page writes the result the way it is spoken.
Where each notation is used
Most of the world writes height in centimetres, or in metres for adults. The United States uses feet and inches, and the United Kingdom still commonly does for people even though its official measures are metric.
With your numbers
- cm = (feet × 12 + inches) × 2.54
Quick reference
Exact both ways; figures are rounded only for display.
| Example | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in | In centimetres: 177.8 cm |
| 6 ft 0 in | In centimetres: 182.88 cm |
| 5 ft 4 in | In centimetres: 162.56 cm |
| 180 cm | In feet and inches: 5 ft 10.87 in |
| 165 cm | In feet and inches: 5 ft 4.96 in |
| 152 cm | In feet and inches: 4 ft 11.84 in |
Common questions about the Height Converter
- How many centimetres is 5 foot 10?
- 177.8 cm exactly. Five feet is 60 inches, plus 10 makes 70, and 70 × 2.54 is 177.8. Because the inch is defined as exactly 2.54 cm, no rounding is involved.
- What is 180 cm in feet and inches?
- 5 feet 10.87 inches. 180 ÷ 2.54 is 70.866 inches; 60 of those make 5 feet, leaving 10.87. Rounded to the nearest inch that is 5 ft 11 in, which is how most people would say it.
- Why does the page never say 5 ft 12 in?
- Because 12 inches is a foot. A height such as 182.87 cm is 71.996 inches, and rounding the inches to hundredths lands exactly on 12, which a careless converter prints as 5 ft 12 in. The page carries it into the feet and writes 6 ft 0 in.
- Is the conversion exact?
- Yes. Since 1959 the international inch has been defined as exactly 25.4 millimetres, so feet and inches convert to centimetres with no approximation. The only rounding is in how many decimals the page shows.