# Feet to centimeters converter

> Convert feet to centimeters (feet to cm) with the exact factor, a conversion chart and worked steps.

Interactive version: https://www.calcopenly.com/conversion/feet-to-cm
Subject: Unit converters

A distance stated in feet may describe ceiling height, lumber or a route segment. Combine separate feet and inches into the correct total before using a single-value conversion. The unit here is the international foot; historical survey documents may use a different definition.

One foot is exactly 30.48 centimeters, so 6 ft is 182.88 cm. To convert feet to cm, multiply by 30.48; to convert back, multiply by 0.032808399.

The international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 m, which is 12 inches. Because both units are defined exactly, the factor above is exact and the results here carry no conversion error.

## Inputs

- **Feet (ft)**

## Results

- Centimeters (cm) — main result
- Conversion
- 1 cm in feet (ft)

## Formula

$$
\text{centimeters} = \text{feet} \times 30.48
$$

## Worked examples

### 6 ft to cm

- Feet (ft): 6 ft
- **Centimeters: 182.88 cm**
- Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions (scripts/gen-pairs.py, Python fractions)

### 5 ft to cm

- Feet (ft): 5 ft
- **Centimeters: 152.4 cm**
- Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions (scripts/gen-pairs.py, Python fractions)

### 50 ft to cm

- Feet (ft): 50 ft
- **Centimeters: 1,524 cm**
- Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions (scripts/gen-pairs.py, Python fractions)

## Questions

### When would I convert feet to cm?

A distance stated in feet may describe ceiling height, lumber or a route segment. Combine separate feet and inches into the correct total before using a single-value conversion. The unit here is the international foot; historical survey documents may use a different definition.

### How many centimeters are in a foot?

One foot is exactly 30.48 centimeters. The international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 m, which is 12 inches.

### How do you convert feet to cm?

Multiply the number of feet by 30.48. For example, 6 ft × 30.48 = 182.88 cm. To go the other way, divide by 30.48.

### How can I estimate feet to cm without a calculator?

Multiply by 30. That is 1.6% low of the exact factor 30.48, so 6 ft comes out as 180 cm instead of 182.88.

### How accurate is the feet to centimeters converter?

Accuracy depends on your inputs and the method's assumptions. Decimal arithmetic uses 50 significant digits, but estimates, numerical methods and source data can be less precise; the displayed rounding does not remove those limits. It is checked against 3 worked examples whose answers come from independent sources; for example, “6 ft to cm” is checked against Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions (scripts/gen-pairs.py, Python fractions).

### Where does the method come from?

NIST SP 811 (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B; NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: General tables of units of measurement; BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition.

## Sources

- [NIST SP 811 (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B](https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811)
- [NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: General tables of units of measurement](https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/publications/nist-handbooks/handbook-44)
- [BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition](https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/si-brochure)