How this calculator works
Choose a direction: convert a metric height in centimeters into whole feet plus inches, or convert a feet-and-inches height into centimeters. This comes up constantly when comparing medical charts, sports statistics or ID documents that mix metric and US/UK customary height notation.
Under the hood this is the same exact length relationship used by the length converter: 1 inch equals exactly 2.54 centimeters, fixed by the 1959 international yard and pound agreement. Converting to feet and inches just adds the step of splitting total inches into whole feet (12 inches each) and a decimal remainder.
The formulas
cm → ft + in: total inches = cm ÷ 2.54; feet = floor(total inches ÷ 12); inches = total inches − feet × 12ft + in → cm: cm = feet × 30.48 + inches × 2.54Worked example: 180 cm to feet and inches
- 180 cm ÷ 2.54 cm/in = 70.8661 total inches.
- 70.8661 ÷ 12 = 5.905, so the whole-foot part is 5 feet (60 inches).
- 70.8661 − 60 = 10.87 inches remaining, so 180 cm = 5 ft 10.87 in.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is 5 feet 9 inches in centimeters?
Exactly 175.26 cm: 5 ft 9 in is 69 total inches, and 69 × 2.54 cm/in = 175.26 cm.
Why does my height show so many decimal inches?
The converter reports the mathematically exact remainder. Most people round to the nearest whole or half inch when speaking a height out loud, for example '5 foot 11' instead of '5 ft 10.87 in'.
Does rounding my height change a BMI calculation?
It can shift the result very slightly. For an accurate BMI, use your exact height in centimeters or inches rather than a rounded feet-and-inches figure; see the BMI calculator for that formula.
Is there a quick mental estimate for cm to feet and inches?
Divide centimeters by 30 to get an approximate number of feet, then refine: 180 cm ÷ 30 ≈ 6, but the exact answer (5 ft 10.87 in) shows the quick estimate is only rough and worth checking with the exact formula.
Is 182 cm the same as 6 feet?
Not quite — 182 cm converts to 5 ft 11.65 in, just under a third of an inch short of a full 6 feet, since 6 feet is exactly 182.88 cm (6 × 30.48). Using this page's formula: 182 ÷ 2.54 = 71.65 total inches, and 71.65 − 60 (5 whole feet) leaves 11.65 inches remaining.