Free height converter
Convert height between feet & inches and centimetres instantly — using the exact NIST-defined factor of 1 in = 2.54 cm.
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Uses the exact conversion: 1 inch = 2.54 cm (NIST SP 811). Results are rounded for display only.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
How the height converter works
Height is measured in two systems that don't share a round-number bridge: the imperial system uses feet and inches, and the metric system uses centimetres and metres. The converter handles the split-unit imperial format — feet plus leftover inches — and turns it into centimetres in a single calculation. Going the other direction, it divides centimetres by the same exact factor and breaks the result back into feet and remaining inches.
Worked example: converting 5 ft 11 in to centimetres
James is filling in a health form that asks for height in centimetres. He knows he is 5 ft 11 in but the form has a single metric field. He also wants to express the result in metres for his passport application.
First, convert the feet and inches to a single inch total: (5 × 12) + 11 = 71 inches. Then multiply by the exact factor: 71 × 2.54 = 180.34 cm. Dividing by 100 gives 1.8034 m, which rounds to 1.80 m for most official documents.
Height conversion chart: feet & inches to centimetres
The table below covers the heights most commonly looked up — from average child heights through typical adult ranges. All figures use the exact 2.54 cm/in factor and are rounded to one decimal place.
| Feet & inches | Total inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 0 in | 48 | 121.9 | 1.22 |
| 4 ft 6 in | 54 | 137.2 | 1.37 |
| 5 ft 0 in | 60 | 152.4 | 1.52 |
| 5 ft 3 in | 63 | 160.0 | 1.60 |
| 5 ft 6 in | 66 | 167.6 | 1.68 |
| 5 ft 9 in | 69 | 175.3 | 1.75 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 72 | 182.9 | 1.83 |
| 6 ft 3 in | 75 | 190.5 | 1.91 |
| 6 ft 6 in | 78 | 198.1 | 1.98 |
Calculated using the exact NIST conversion: 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly. Centimetre values are rounded to one decimal place; metre values to two.
When to use a height converter and how to measure accurately
Height conversions come up in a handful of everyday situations — passport and visa forms, online clothing sizing from international brands, medical records when switching between a US provider and one overseas, and fitness apps that default to metric. In each case the stakes differ: a clothing size can be a centimetre off without consequence, while a body-mass index calculation or medical dosing formula should use the exact converted figure.
- Passports and ID — US passports record height in feet and inches; most other countries use centimetres. Enter your exact imperial height and use the cm result with no rounding for the most accurate record.
- Medical and health forms — BMI, drug-dosing formulas, and some anaesthesia calculations all use metric height. Use the unconverted decimal centimetre value, not a rounded whole number.
- International clothing — EU, UK, and Asian size charts often list height ranges in centimetres. Round to the nearest whole centimetre for size comparisons.
- Sports registrations — track and field, swimming, and gymnastics use metric; US team sports typically use feet and inches. Run the converter in whichever direction the registration form requires.
- Home and furniture — ceiling clearance for bunk beds, overhead storage, and door frames is often specified in inches in the US but centimetres in European flat-pack instructions. Convert the measurement, not just your height.
Accuracy and limitations of height conversion
The conversion itself is perfectly exact: 1 inch equals 2.54 cm by definition, so the math introduces zero rounding error. Any imprecision in the final result comes entirely from the measurement you put in, not from the formula.
Two practical limits apply. First, human height varies slightly through the day — most people are about 1 cm (roughly half an inch) taller in the morning than at night because intervertebral discs compress during waking hours. Second, the converter handles only static, vertical height. It does not account for body proportions, posture, or medical limb-length measurements. For clinical purposes — growth charts, orthopaedic assessments, or body-composition analysis — use a calibrated stadiometer and record the figure to the nearest millimetre. For everyday conversions, the calculator is as accurate as the measuring tape you used. Results can also be cross-checked against the BMI calculator, which accepts height in either unit system.
Height measurement terms defined
About this height converter
This converter runs entirely in your browser. No height data is sent to any server, stored, or shared. The calculation uses the exact NIST-defined factor (1 in = 2.54 cm), so results match any authoritative conversion table to as many decimal places as you need.
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