Convert Millimeter of Mercury to Inch of Mercury (mmHg → inHg)

Converting millimeters of mercury to inches of mercury 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 millimeters of mercury

   Start with the number of millimeters of mercury (mmHg) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 0.03937

   The conversion factor from mmHg to inHg is 0.03937. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in inches of mercury

   The result is your value in inches of mercury (inHg).

Multiply the value in millimeters of mercury by 0.03937. For the reverse direction, multiply by 25.400003.

• ✓1 mmHg ≈ 133.32 Pa ≈ 1 Torr.
• ✓760 mmHg = 1 atm.
• ✓Blood-pressure cuffs display mmHg worldwide.

• ✗Confusing mmHg with mmH₂O (different unit, factor of 13.6).
• ✗Mixing mmHg with torr in precise vacuum physics — they differ by one part per million.
• ✗Writing blood pressure in kPa — use mmHg for medical continuity.

What is the Millimeter of Mercury?

The millimeter of mercury equals approximately 133.322 pascals and is the universal medical unit for blood pressure measurements worldwide. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg (systolic/diastolic). The unit's origin is the manometer: a column of mercury rises 1 mm for every 133 Pa of pressure difference. Mercury barometers historically measured atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg = 1 atm at sea level). Beyond medicine, mmHg appears in vacuum-system specifications, certain laboratory contexts, and altimeter settings (in inHg in the US, in mmHg or hPa elsewhere). The mmHg relates to the torr (1 mmHg ≈ 1.0000003 torr — essentially identical), the pascal (1 mmHg ≈ 133.3 Pa), the atmosphere (760 mmHg = 1 atm), and inches of mercury (1 inHg = 25.4 mmHg). The unit's persistence in medicine reflects historical inertia and the precision of mercury manometers.

• Blood pressure measurement globally
• Vacuum-system specifications
• Historical scientific texts

What is the Inch of Mercury?

The inch of mercury equals exactly 25.4 mmHg (or about 3,386.4 pascals) and is the American aviation standard for altimeter settings and historic barometer readings. Pilots set their altimeters to the local atmospheric pressure in inHg before takeoff and landing — standard 'sea-level pressure' is 29.92 inHg. American weather reports historically used inHg before transitioning to millibars/hPa, and home barometers in the US still display inHg. The unit relates to the mmHg (25.4 mmHg = 1 inHg), the millibar (1 inHg ≈ 33.864 mbar), the kilopascal (1 inHg ≈ 3.386 kPa), and the psi (1 inHg ≈ 0.491 psi). Aviation's continued use of inHg in the United States reflects regulatory tradition rather than scientific advantage; international ATC outside the US uses hectopascals.

• US aviation altimeter QNH settings
• US residential barometers
• US weather forecasts (older)