🔄 Converters
📏 📏 Length Converter: Meters, Feet, Miles and Kilometers
Learn how to convert between metric and imperial length units. Covers meters, feet, inches, miles, kilometers with exact formulas, height conversion tables, and nautical units.
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Length conversion is needed whenever US customary (feet, inches, miles) meets metric (meters, centimeters, kilometers). The fundamental anchor: 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly (defined in 1959). All other length conversions derive from this single relationship.
Common Conversion Formulas
| Convert |
Formula |
Example |
| Inches → cm | × 2.54 | 6 in = 15.24 cm |
| cm → inches | ÷ 2.54 | 30 cm = 11.81 in |
| Feet → meters | × 0.3048 | 10 ft = 3.048 m |
| Meters → feet | × 3.28084 | 5 m = 16.4 ft |
| Miles → km | × 1.60934 | 10 mi = 16.09 km |
| Km → miles | × 0.62137 | 10 km = 6.21 mi |
Height Conversion Table
| Feet/Inches |
cm |
Feet/Inches |
cm |
| 5'0" | 152.4 | 5'7" | 170.2 |
| 5'3" | 160.0 | 5'10" | 177.8 |
| 5'5" | 165.1 | 6'0" | 182.9 |
Metric Prefixes
- 1 km = 1,000 m | 1 m = 100 cm = 1,000 mm | 1 cm = 10 mm
- 1 μm (micrometer) = 0.001 mm | 1 nm (nanometer) = 0.000001 mm
Special Length Units
- Nautical mile: 1,852 m = 1.852 km. Used in maritime/aviation navigation. 1/60th of a degree of latitude.
- Light-year: 9.461 × 10¹⁵ m — distance light travels in one year. Not a unit of time.
- Astronomical Unit (AU): ~149.6 million km — average Earth-Sun distance.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert feet to meters?▼
Multiply feet by 0.3048. The exact value: 1 foot = 12 × 2.54 cm = 30.48 cm = 0.3048 m. Example: 6 feet = 1.8288 m. For the reverse: multiply meters by 3.28084.
How do I convert miles to kilometers?▼
1 mile = 1.60934 km. Multiply miles by 1.60934 for km; multiply km by 0.62137 for miles. Quick approximation: km × 0.6 ≈ miles. 10 km ≈ 6.2 miles; marathon (26.2 miles) ≈ 42.2 km.
How do I convert height from feet/inches to centimeters?▼
Convert to total inches first (feet × 12 + extra inches), then multiply by 2.54. For 5'9": (5 × 12 + 9) = 69 inches × 2.54 = 175.26 cm.
What is a nautical mile?▼
1 nautical mile = 1,852 m = 1.852 km = 1.151 statute miles. It corresponds to 1/60th of a degree of latitude, making it natural for navigation. Speed in nautical miles per hour is called "knots."
What is the exact relationship between inches and centimeters?▼
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly — an exact defined value established by international agreement in 1959. All US customary to metric length conversions derive from this single anchor.