Convert Foot to Centimeter (ft → cm)

Converting feet to centimeters is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in feet

   Start with the number of feet (ft) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 30.48

   The conversion factor from ft to cm is 30.48. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in centimeters

   The result is your value in centimeters (cm).

Multiply the value in feet by 30.48. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.032808.

• ✓1 foot = 12 inches = 30.48 cm exactly. Knowing feet gives you inches instantly.
• ✓For a quick metric estimate, multiply feet by 0.3 — 10 ft ≈ 3 m.
• ✓Pilots and air-traffic control use feet globally, even over metric countries.

• ✗Writing "6.2 ft" to mean "6 feet 2 inches" — the decimal form is 6.167 ft, not 6.2.
• ✗Confusing feet (length) with square feet (area) in US real-estate listings.
• ✗Using 0.3 instead of 0.3048 on structural drawings — errors accumulate on multi-storey buildings.

What is the Foot?

The foot equals exactly 0.3048 meters or 12 inches under the 1959 international agreement. The unit's name reflects its ancient origin as the length of an adult human foot, with measurements varying by region — from 250 mm to over 330 mm — until standardization. The foot is the dominant unit for human height in the United States and the United Kingdom (a person is described as '5 ft 10 in' rather than 178 cm), for building heights, and for aviation altitudes (worldwide aircraft fly at altitudes given in feet, even in metric countries). It remains the standard for residential floor counts, ceiling heights, and ladder ratings. The foot relates to the meter (1 ft ≈ 0.305 m), the yard (3 ft = 1 yd), and the mile (5,280 ft = 1 mi).

• Aircraft cruising altitude in international aviation
• US building heights, ceiling heights and room dimensions
• Mountain elevations on global maps (Everest = 29,032 ft)

What is the Centimeter?

The centimeter equals one hundredth of a meter (0.01 m) and is the everyday metric unit for body measurements, clothing, furniture, and household items. It bridges the gap between the meter (too large for personal items) and the millimeter (too small for clothing). The centimeter is widely used in countries with metric systems for height (a person is 160–185 cm tall), paper sizes (A4 is 21 × 29.7 cm), and medical measurements. Although not strictly an SI base unit, it is one of the most common units in daily metric usage. The centimeter relates to the inch (1 cm ≈ 0.394 in) and to the millimeter (1 cm = 10 mm). It became standard with the metric system's adoption across continental Europe in the 19th century.

• Height and body measurements in medical records
• Ready-to-wear clothing sizes in Europe and Asia
• Furniture and interior design dimensions