Guide · Published October 26, 2026 · By the site maintainer
How to convert height between feet and inches and centimeters
To convert a height in feet and inches to centimeters, first turn it into total inches — feet times 12, plus the inches — then multiply by 2.54. To go the other way, divide centimeters by 2.54 to get total inches, then split that into feet and leftover inches. Two steps, one exact factor, no guessing.
Height is the conversion people need most often and get wrong most quietly, because it mixes two units on one side. A form asks for your height in centimeters for a medical record, a passport application, a sports roster, or a clothing size chart, and the answer has to be right — a five-centimeter error is two inches you do not actually have.
Feet and inches to centimeters, step by step
- Convert the feet to inches. Multiply the feet by 12.
- Add the remaining inches. This gives one number: your height in inches.
- Multiply by 2.54. One inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, so the result is exact before rounding.
Worked example: 5 feet 9 inches. Five feet is 60 inches; 60 plus 9 is 69 inches; 69 × 2.54 = 175.26 cm. Most forms accept 175 cm. If a form asks for meters instead, divide by 100: 1.75 m.
The centimeters and inches converter does the multiplication for you once you have total inches, and the meters and feet converter handles heights given as a single decimal in either unit.
Centimeters to feet and inches, step by step
- Divide centimeters by 2.54. This gives your height in inches, usually with a decimal.
- Divide the inches by 12. The whole number is the feet.
- The remainder is the inches. Multiply the decimal part of the feet result by 12, or subtract feet × 12 from the total inches.
Worked example: 180 cm. Dividing by 2.54 gives 70.87 inches. Seventy inches is 5 feet (60 inches) with 10.87 inches left over, so 180 cm is 5 feet 10.9 inches — reported as 5'11" by anyone rounding to the nearest inch, and as 5'10" by anyone truncating. Knowing both conventions explains why two sources sometimes disagree about the same person's height by an inch.
Height reference table
| Feet and inches | Total inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 4'8" | 56 in | 142.24 cm |
| 4'10" | 58 in | 147.32 cm |
| 5'0" | 60 in | 152.40 cm |
| 5'2" | 62 in | 157.48 cm |
| 5'4" | 64 in | 162.56 cm |
| 5'6" | 66 in | 167.64 cm |
| 5'8" | 68 in | 172.72 cm |
| 5'10" | 70 in | 177.80 cm |
| 6'0" | 72 in | 182.88 cm |
| 6'2" | 74 in | 187.96 cm |
| 6'4" | 76 in | 193.04 cm |
| 6'6" | 78 in | 198.12 cm |
Every row follows the same rule, so a height between rows is easy to find: each additional inch adds exactly 2.54 cm. A person who is 5'7" is one inch below the 5'8" row, at 172.72 − 2.54 = 170.18 cm.
The decimal-feet trap
The most common height error has nothing to do with the metric system. It is writing 5 feet 9 inches as "5.9 feet." Decimal feet divide the foot into tenths; real height divides it into twelve inches. 5.9 feet is 5 feet plus 0.9 × 12 = 10.8 inches — that is 5'10.8", nearly two inches taller than 5'9". The same trap catches 5.7 feet, which is 5'8.4", not 5'7".
If a form, spreadsheet, or piece of equipment gives you a decimal-feet value, convert it honestly: take the whole number as feet, multiply the decimal by 12 for the inches, then convert the total inches to centimeters if needed. Our rounding guide covers how much of the decimal to keep.
Where each format shows up
- Medical records: Centimeters (or meters) almost everywhere, including many US systems that convert behind the scenes for BMI.
- Official ID and immigration forms: Centimeters in most countries; feet and inches on US forms.
- Sports: US rosters list feet and inches; international federations list centimeters — and roster heights are famously rounded up.
- Clothing and gear: Ski, bike, and wetsuit sizing charts are usually keyed to centimeters even when sold in the US.
- Children's growth charts: Centimeters in pediatric practice worldwide, converted to inches on many US parent-facing charts.
Measuring yourself accurately
A conversion can only be as good as the measurement. Stand barefoot against a wall, heels and shoulder blades touching, eyes level, and have someone rest a flat book on your head and mark the wall. Measure in the evening and you may be up to a centimeter shorter than in the morning, because spinal discs compress during the day. For a form, one honest measurement converted once beats three measurements averaged in two unit systems.
When the value matters — a size threshold, a medical record, an equipment fit — convert with the full factor and round once at the end, following the same discipline as any other measurement on this site.