What this height converter does
This tool converts a person's height between Imperial/US units (feet and inches) and metric units (centimeters), in both directions, on one page. Enter a value in the feet and inches group to get centimeters, enter a value in the centimeters field to get inches, or fill in both groups at once. Each group's result only appears when you provide a value for it.
How to use it
To convert feet and inches to centimeters, type the feet and inches (either may be left blank and is treated as 0) and read the centimeter result. To convert centimeters to inches, type the centimeter value; the tool also breaks the result into whole feet plus remaining inches. All values must be zero or positive.
The formula explained
Everything rests on one exact international definition: 1 inch = 2.54 cm. From this we get 1 foot = 12 inches = 30.48 cm and 1 cm = 1 / 2.54 = 0.39370079 inches. To go from feet and inches to centimeters, first find the total inches (feet times 12, plus the inches), then multiply by 2.54:
$$\text{cm} = (\text{feet} \times 12 + \text{inches}) \times 2.54$$To reverse, divide the centimeters by 2.54 to get inches, then divide by 12 to find whole feet, keeping the remainder as leftover inches:
$$\text{inches} = \frac{\text{cm}}{2.54}$$
Worked examples
Feet & inches to cm: 5 ft 2 in. Total inches = \(5 \times 12 + 2 = 62\) inches. Centimeters:
$$62 \times 2.54 = 157.48 \text{ cm}$$So 5 ft 2 in = 157.48 cm.
Cm to inches: 144.5 cm. Inches:
$$\frac{144.5}{2.54} = 56.89 \text{ inches}$$Whole feet = \(\lfloor 56.89 / 12 \rfloor = 4\) ft; remainder = \(56.89 - 48 = 8.89\) in. So 144.5 cm = 56.89 inches = 4 ft 8.89 in.
FAQ
Is 1 inch = 2.54 cm exact? Yes. Since 1959 the international inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters, so these conversions are exact up to display rounding.
Do the inches need to be under 12? No. The tool simply sums feet and inches, so an entry like 0 ft 62 in is valid and also equals 157.48 cm.
Why does the result round to two decimals? Two decimal places are precise enough for everyday height use; the calculation keeps full precision internally and rounds only the displayed value.
