About the Height Converter
This height converter works both ways: turn a height in centimeters into feet and inches, or turn feet and inches (such as 5 ft 8 in) into centimeters. Pick a direction, enter the height, and you also get meters and total inches — the formats doctors, sports teams, visa forms and dating apps most often ask for.
It is built for people moving between metric and imperial systems: travellers filling in forms, parents comparing a child's height on different growth charts, athletes checking roster listings, or anyone curious what "180 cm" looks like in feet. The chart shows common heights from 4 ft 10 in to 6 ft 6 in with their centimeter equivalents.
All conversions use the exact definition 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Feet-and-inches results are rounded to one decimal of an inch and carried into the next foot when needed, so the answer is always a valid height.
How to use the height converter
- 1Choose the direction: feet & inches → cm, or cm → feet & inches.
- 2Enter the height (feet and inches, or centimeters).
- 3Read the converted height, plus meters and total inches.
- 4Use the chart to compare other common heights.
Formula and method
To go from feet and inches to centimeters, first convert everything to inches (feet × 12 + inches), then multiply by 2.54, the exact number of centimeters in an inch.
To go from centimeters to feet and inches, divide by 2.54 to get total inches, take the whole number of 12s as feet, and the remainder as inches. Inches are rounded to one decimal and carried into the next foot if they reach 12.
- feet
- Whole feet of height
- inches
- Remaining inches (0–11.9)
- 2.54
- Centimeters per inch (exact)
Worked examples
5 ft 8 in to cm
5 ft 8 in is 5 × 12 + 8 = 68 inches. 68 × 2.54 = 172.72 cm, or about 1.73 m.
6 ft 2 in to cm
6 × 12 + 2 = 74 inches, and 74 × 2.54 = 187.96 cm — usually quoted as 188 cm.
170 cm to feet and inches
170 ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 inches. That is 5 feet (60 in) with 6.93 inches left, so 170 cm is about 5 ft 7 in.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert my height from feet to cm?+
Multiply the feet by 12 and add the inches to get total inches, then multiply by 2.54. For 5 ft 6 in: 66 × 2.54 = 167.64 cm.
What is 5 ft 8 in in cm?+
5 ft 8 in is 172.72 cm (68 inches × 2.54). It is often rounded to 173 cm.
How tall is 180 cm in feet?+
180 cm is 70.87 inches, which is 5 ft 10.9 in — just under 5 ft 11 in.
How tall is 6 feet in cm?+
Six feet is exactly 182.88 cm (72 inches × 2.54), usually written as 183 cm.
Why do height charts round differently?+
Some charts round to the nearest centimeter and some to the nearest half inch. This converter shows centimeters to two decimals and inches to one decimal so you can round as you need.