Convert Foot to Meter (ftm)

The foot is the standard unit for human height, building floor counts, and aviation altitudes worldwide.

0.3048
1 ft0.3048 mNIST · BIPM accuracy

Foot to Meter Conversion Table

10 common values
FootMeter
1 ft0.3048 m
5 ft1.524 m
10 ft3.048 m
25 ft7.62 m
50 ft15.24 m
100 ft30.48 m
250 ft76.2 m
500 ft152.4 m
1,000 ft304.8 m
5,000 ft1,524 m

How to Convert Foot to Meter Manually

Step by Step

Converting feet to meters 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 0.3048
    The conversion factor from ft to m is 0.3048. Multiply your value by this number.
  3. 3
    Read the result in meters
    The result is your value in meters (m).
Practical Examples
1 ft
equals
0.3048 m
5 ft
equals
1.524 m
10 ft
equals
3.048 m
25 ft
equals
7.62 m
100 ft
equals
30.48 m

Formula

Multiply the value in feet by 0.3048. For the reverse direction, multiply by 3.28084.

Forwardm = ft × 0.3048
Reverseft = m × 3.28084
Example: 10 ft × 0.3048 = 3.048 m

Tips

Use these in everyday conversions
  • 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.

Common Mistakes

Avoid these
  • 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.

About Foot and Meter

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)
Real-world examples

Airliners cruise at 35,000 ft (10.7 km). Mount Everest is 29,032 ft (8,849 m). A standard US ceiling is 8 ft (2.44 m).

What is the Meter?

The meter is the base SI unit of length. Originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole through Paris, it has been redefined several times for greater precision. Since 1983, the meter has been defined by the speed of light: the distance light travels in vacuum during 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition links the meter to a fundamental physical constant, making it reproducible anywhere in the universe. The meter is the parent unit for all metric lengths — kilometers, centimeters, millimeters — and is used globally in science, engineering, construction, and sports. A standard door is about 2 meters tall, and the average adult walking pace covers roughly 1 meter per step.

  • Room dimensions and building measurements in Europe
  • Track-and-field events (100 m, 200 m, 400 m sprint)
  • Scientific papers and engineering drawings worldwide
Real-world examples

A standard door is about 2 metres tall. An Olympic swimming pool is exactly 50 metres long. The Eiffel Tower is 330 metres tall.

Learn About Both Units

📏 Reference

What is the Foot?

Read the unit page →
📏 Reference

What is the Meter?

Read the unit page →

Foot to Meter FAQ

5 questions
How many meters in a foot?
One foot equals 0.3048 meters.
How do I convert feet to meters?
Multiply the foot value by 0.3048 to get the equivalent in meters.
What is 100 feet in meters?
100 feet equals 30.48 meters.
Is a foot bigger than a meter?
No. 1 foot equals 0.3048 meters, so one foot is smaller.
How to convert feet to meters without a calculator?
Multiply by 0.3 for a quick estimate; use a calculator for precise results.

Related Length Conversions

Full comparison →

Conversions From Other Categories