Height in feet and inches to centimetres, and back
Convert a height between feet and inches and centimetres exactly, with a quick reference table and the mistakes that put conversions an inch out.
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Tools for this job: Length Converter · BMI Calculator · Shoe Size Converter
Forms, dating profiles, medical records and clothing sizes ask for height in different units depending on the country. Converting is exact — the inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres — but feet and inches together trip people up.
Feet and inches to centimetres
- Multiply the feet by 12 and add the inches to get a total in inches.
- Multiply by 2.54.
5 ft 9 in is 5 × 12 + 9 = 69 inches, and 69 × 2.54 = 175.26 cm.
Centimetres to feet and inches
- Divide by 2.54 to get inches.
- Divide by 12: the whole number is feet, and the remainder is inches.
170 cm ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 inches. 66.93 ÷ 12 = 5 with 6.93 left over, so 170 cm is 5 ft 6.9 in, usually rounded to 5 ft 7 in.
Quick reference
| Feet and inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 152.4 |
| 5 ft 4 in | 162.6 |
| 5 ft 6 in | 167.6 |
| 5 ft 8 in | 172.7 |
| 5 ft 10 in | 177.8 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 182.9 |
| 6 ft 2 in | 188.0 |
Going the other way: 160 cm is about 5 ft 3 in, 180 cm about 5 ft 11 in and 190 cm about 6 ft 3 in. The Length Converter converts any value exactly.
Common mistakes
- Treating 5.9 feet as 5 ft 9 in. 5.9 feet is 5 ft 10.8 in, because a foot has 12 inches, not 10.
- Rounding twice. Round only the final answer; rounding the inches first and then converting can put you an inch out.
- Using 2.5 instead of 2.54. Over a whole height, that shortcut is nearly 3 cm out: 69 inches comes to 172.5 cm instead of 175.26.
Which form does a form want?
- Metres to two decimals, common on medical and official forms: 175.26 cm is 1.75 m.
- Whole centimetres, common on passports and ID applications: round to the nearest centimetre, 175.
- Inches only, used on some US forms: 5 ft 9 in is 69 inches.
- Feet and inches, written 5′9″ or 5 ft 9 in — not 5.9.
When a form gives a box for feet and another for inches, the inches box should hold 0 to 11; a height of 5 ft 12 in is 6 ft 0 in.
Measuring height accurately
Stand barefoot with your back and heels against a wall, looking straight ahead. Have someone rest a flat object such as a book on your head, level, and mark the wall underneath it. Measure from the floor to the mark. Height is slightly greater in the morning than in the evening, by up to a centimetre or so.
Where height is used
For body mass index, height is needed in metres: 175.26 cm is 1.7526 m. The BMI Calculator accepts either feet and inches or centimetres and converts for you. For shoes, the relevant measurement is foot length rather than height — see the Shoe Size Converter.