Convert centimetres to feet and inches or feet to cm. Full height conversion chart included.
Converting between centimetres and feet is one of the most common measurement conversions because height is expressed in feet and inches in the US and a handful of other countries, while the rest of the world uses centimetres and metres. Medical records, passports, clothing sizes, sporting statistics and dating profiles all require knowing your height in the right unit for your context. One inch equals exactly 2.54 centimetres — a conversion factor defined internationally in 1959. One foot equals exactly 30.48 centimetres (12 x 2.54).
Converting centimetres to feet and inches requires two steps. First, convert cm to total inches by dividing by 2.54. Then divide the total inches by 12 to get the feet component, and the remainder is the inches component. Example: 180 cm divided by 2.54 = 70.866 total inches. 70.866 divided by 12 = 5 feet and 10.866 inches, which rounds to 5 feet 11 inches. For feet to cm: multiply feet by 30.48 and add inches multiplied by 2.54. Example: 5 feet 10 inches = (5 x 30.48) + (10 x 2.54) = 152.4 + 25.4 = 177.8 cm. The conversion works for any length, not just heights — use the same formula for furniture dimensions, room sizes, fabric lengths and any other measurement that needs converting. Our unit converter handles all measurement unit conversions and our percentage calculator is useful when comparing lengths as percentages of each other.
| Feet & Inches | Total Inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4'10" | 58 | 147.32 | 1.473 |
| 5'0" | 60 | 152.40 | 1.524 |
| 5'2" | 62 | 157.48 | 1.575 |
| 5'4" | 64 | 162.56 | 1.626 |
| 5'6" | 66 | 167.64 | 1.676 |
| 5'8" | 68 | 172.72 | 1.727 |
| 5'10" | 70 | 177.80 | 1.778 |
| 6'0" | 72 | 182.88 | 1.829 |
| 6'2" | 74 | 187.96 | 1.880 |
| 6'4" | 76 | 193.04 | 1.930 |
| 6'6" | 78 | 198.12 | 1.981 |
Having a few common height benchmarks memorised makes conversions faster and avoids the need for a calculator in everyday situations. 5 feet = 152.4 cm. 5 feet 6 inches = 167.6 cm (world average for women is close to this). 5 feet 9 inches = 175.3 cm (near the US male average). 6 feet = 182.9 cm. 6 feet 2 inches = 187.9 cm. The average height of NBA players is approximately 200 cm (6 feet 7 inches). The average height of NFL players is approximately 188 cm (6 feet 2 inches). Standard doorframe height in the US is 80 inches = 203.2 cm = 6 feet 8 inches. Average ceiling height is 8 feet = 243.84 cm. The world's tallest person on record was Robert Wadlow at 272 cm (8 feet 11 inches). Use our BMI calculator which accepts height in both cm and feet/inches, and our ideal weight calculator to find healthy weight ranges for any height.
The United States is one of only three countries in the world (along with Liberia and Myanmar) that has not officially adopted the International System of Units (SI, or the metric system) as its primary measurement system. For height specifically, the US, UK (informally) and Canada (informally) continue to use feet and inches in daily life, though medical records in the UK and Canada often record height in centimetres. This creates frequent conversion needs for international travel, medical forms, clothing shopping from international retailers, and reading sporting statistics from different countries. The confusion is compounded by the fact that the UK officially uses metres and centimetres but its population predominantly states height in feet and inches colloquially. For practical purposes, memorising that 1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1 foot = 30.48 cm allows mental conversion for any common height. Our unit converter handles weight, temperature, speed and all other unit conversions beyond length.
| Country | Official System | Height Usage | Average Male Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Imperial | Feet and inches | 5'9" (175.3 cm) |
| United Kingdom | Metric (official) | Feet/inches (informal) | 5'10" (177.5 cm) |
| Netherlands | Metric | Centimetres | 6'0" (182.5 cm) |
| Australia | Metric | Centimetres | 5'10" (177.8 cm) |
| Japan | Metric | Centimetres | 5'7" (170.8 cm) |
| India | Metric | Centimetres / feet | 5'5" (165 cm) |
International clothing shopping frequently requires height conversion because size charts vary by region. European and Asian clothing brands typically size by height in centimetres, while American and UK brands use feet and inches. Standard trouser inseam measurements in the US and UK are given in inches (28, 30, 32, 34, 36) while European sizing gives total trouser length in centimetres. One inch of inseam difference corresponds to 2.54 cm — a 32-inch inseam is approximately 81 cm. Dress and skirt lengths are sized relative to height: a midi dress on a 5'4" person falls at a different point than on a 5'10" person. When ordering from international retailers, knowing your height in both systems prevents sizing errors and reduces returns. Shoe size systems also differ: US men's sizes, UK sizes, EU sizes (in centimetres of foot length) and Japanese sizes (also in centimetres) all require conversion. Our ratio calculator helps with proportional scaling and our percentage calculator is useful for calculating size differences as percentages.
Height is a fundamental clinical measurement used in dozens of medical calculations. BMI (Body Mass Index) uses height and weight to estimate body fatness: BMI = weight in kg / (height in metres)^2. Any error in height measurement propagates into BMI. Body Surface Area (BSA), used for drug dosing in oncology, burns treatment and other applications, uses both height and weight. Ideal weight formulas (Devine, Hamwi, Robinson) all use height. Paediatric growth charts plot height against age percentiles to identify growth disorders. Spirometry (lung function testing) uses height to predict normal lung volumes. Nutritional requirements (daily calorie needs, protein requirements) scale with height and weight. In clinical settings, height is always measured in centimetres — US hospitals record height in cm in their electronic health records even though patients typically report in feet and inches. This is why understanding the conversion matters practically in medical contexts. Our BMI calculator accepts both cm and feet/inches, and our ideal weight calculator shows healthy weight ranges for any height in both unit systems.
Architects, interior designers and construction professionals regularly work with measurements in both imperial and metric units depending on the project location and client requirements. US residential construction almost universally uses feet and inches -- lumber is sold in 8-foot, 10-foot and 12-foot lengths, plywood sheets are 4x8 feet, standard ceiling height is 8 feet, and room dimensions are planned in feet. International projects or projects following international building codes may use metres and centimetres throughout. Converting structural dimensions accurately matters because a 1cm error in a framing measurement translates to a misaligned wall, an ill-fitting door frame or a window that does not match its opening. Digital design tools like AutoCAD, SketchUp and Revit support both unit systems and allow switching between them, but the underlying precision requires accurate conversion between any manually entered measurements. Our area calculator computes floor areas in any measurement unit for construction and interior design planning. Understanding height conversion is particularly important for sports and athletics, where performance statistics are reported in different units depending on the sport and country. Basketball player heights in the NBA are listed in feet and inches (LeBron James: 6'9"), while European basketball leagues and FIBA list heights in centimetres (206 cm). Soccer/football player heights are listed in cm in European leagues but ft/in in US reporting about the same players. Track and field results report event measurements in metres (high jump clearance height, long jump distance) while American audiences may want the feet-and-inches equivalent. Swimming pool lengths are 50 metres (Olympic) or 25 metres (short course) -- 164 feet and 82 feet respectively. Marathon distance is 42.195 km = 26 miles 385 yards. Understanding these conversions quickly becomes necessary when following international sports. For personal fitness, height accuracy matters for BMI, ideal weight, body surface area and lung function calculations. A 1 cm error in recorded height changes BMI by approximately 0.2-0.4 points, which can shift someone from one BMI category to another at borderline values. Our BMI calculator accepts height in cm or feet/inches and our ideal weight calculator shows healthy weight ranges in both measurement systems.