Millimeters to inches converter

Convert millimeters to inches (mm to inches) with the exact factor, a conversion chart and worked steps.

Drafted with AI writing toolsUpdated Checked examples: 3

mm
Try
Inches
in
Inches: 0.984251968504 in
Significant figures: 12; Nearest, ties away from zero
Conversion
25 mm = 0.9842519685 in
1 in in millimeters
25.4mm

25 mm is about 0.9842519685 in. In the other direction, 1 in ≈ 25.4 mm.

Millimeters to inches

012320406080100mmin25 → 0.9843
Mm to inches chart Rows: 13
MillimetersInches
10.0394
20.0787
30.1181
50.1969
80.315
100.3937
120.4724
160.6299
200.7874
250.9843
401.5748
501.9685
1003.937
How it's calculated S
  1. Conversion factor

    1 mm=0.0393700787402 in1\ \text{mm} = 0.0393700787402\ \text{in}

    Rounded here for display; the calculation uses 50 significant digits.

  2. Multiply

    25×0.0393700787402=0.984251968504 in25 \times 0.0393700787402 = 0.984251968504\ \text{in}

About the millimeters to inches converter

To convert millimeters to inches, multiply by 0.0393700787; to convert back, multiply by 25.4. For example, 25 mm is about 0.984252 in. Displayed factors and results may be rounded.

Millimeter readings are useful for small clearances, fasteners and drawing dimensions. Retain the tolerance with the original measurement: converting the number cannot make a manufactured part more accurate. Check whether a nominal part size describes its actual measured diameter.

millimetre: 1 mm = 1/1,000 m. The metre is the SI base unit of length.

Both units are defined exactly. Calculations use 50 significant digits and round only for display.

How to convert millimeters to inches

Divide millimeters by 25.4 to get inches. One inch is exactly 25.4 mm, so 10 mm = 0.3937 in and 50 mm = 1.9685 in. Use the decimal for drawings and specifications; for a tape measure, round it to the nearest fraction of an inch.

Why the divisor is 25.4

Since 1959 the international inch has been exactly 0.0254 m, or 25.4 mm (NIST). The reverse factor, 1 mm = 0.0393700787… in, never ends, so dividing by 25.4 is more accurate than multiplying by a rounded 0.03937.

How to convert mm to fractional inches

  1. Divide the millimeters by 25.4.
  2. Multiply by your ruler's smallest division: 16, 32 or 64.
  3. Round to the nearest whole number and write it over that division.
  4. Simplify the fraction.

For 10 mm: 10 ÷ 25.4 = 0.3937 in, and 0.3937 × 64 = 25.197, which rounds to 25/64 in. For 100 mm on a ruler marked in sixteenths: 3.937 × 16 = 62.99, which rounds to 63/16, or 3 15/16 in.

When the rounding reaches a whole inch, carry it: 25.3 mm rounds to 64/64, which is 1 in. Rounding to the nearest 1/64 in can be off by up to 1/128 in, or 0.1984375 mm.

Millimeters to inches chart

Decimal inches are rounded to four places. The last column is the nearest 1/64-inch ruler mark, worked from the unrounded value.

Millimeters (mm)Decimal inchesNearest 1/64 inch
10.03943/64
20.07875/64
30.11811/8
50.196913/64
6.350.25001/4
80.31505/16
100.393725/64
120.472415/32
12.70.50001/2
160.62995/8
200.787425/32
250.984363/64
25.41.00001
401.57481 37/64
501.96851 31/32
1003.93703 15/16

Only 6.35 mm, 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm land exactly on a mark (1/4, 1/2 and 1 inch); the other fractions are the closest marks.

Is 25 mm the same as 1 inch?

No. 25 mm is 0.9843 in, 0.4 mm short of an inch. Nearby metric and inch sizes often differ like this: 3 mm sits next to the 1/8 in mark, but 1/8 in is 3.175 mm, a 0.175 mm gap.

When a bolt, bit or socket has to fit, compare the exact sizes, not the nearest ruler mark.

Tolerances, mils and areas

  • Tolerances convert with the size. 50 mm ± 0.02 mm is 1.968504 in ± 0.000787 in.
  • A mil is not a millimeter. It is a thousandth of an inch, 0.0254 mm, and is used for plastic sheeting and coating thickness.
  • Areas divide by 25.4² = 645.16. A 50 × 100 mm label is 5,000 mm², or 7.7500 in²; dividing an area by 25.4 alone is wrong.

For the reverse direction, use inches to mm. A measurement in centimeters goes through cm to inches, and the length converter and area converter cover other units.

Worked examples

25 mm to in

Millimeters (mm)
25 mm
Inches
0.9842519685 in

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

8 mm to in

Millimeters (mm)
8 mm
Inches
0.3149606299 in

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

50 mm to in

Millimeters (mm)
50 mm
Inches
1.968503937 in

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

Questions

How many inches are in one millimeter?

1 mm is about 0.0393700787 in. millimetre: 1 mm = 1/1,000 m. The metre is the SI base unit of length.

How do I convert millimeters to inches?

Multiply by 0.0393700787: 25 mm × 0.0393700787 ≈ 0.984252 in. To convert back, divide by the same factor. The factor shown may be rounded.

How can I estimate millimeters in inches without a calculator?

Multiply by 0.04. This is 1.6% above the exact factor (about 0.0393700787), so 25 mm comes out as 1 in instead of 0.9843 in.

About this calculator

in=mm×0.0393700787402\text{in} = \text{mm} \times 0.0393700787402

Sources

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

Checked against references

This calculator includes 3 worked examples with independently sourced answers. They run in the test suite, and you can run them here too.

Put this calculator on your site

Paste this where you want the calculator to appear. It is free to use, it stays in step with corrections made here, and the credit line below it links back so your readers can find the full version.

Height
Preview the embed

Keep the credit line. It is the only condition, and it is what keeps these calculators free.