Height Converter: Feet, Inches & CM

How to Convert Feet & Inches to Centimeters

To convert a height value from feet and inches to centimeters, follow a few easy steps. The mathematics rely on a simple standard:

• Convert feet to inches by multiplying by 12.
• Add the inch value to the converted feet to get the total height in inches.
• Multiply the total height in inches by 2.54 to get the height in centimeters.

For example, let's convert a height of 5' 8" to centimeters following the steps above:

inches = (5' × 12) + 8"
inches = 60" + 8"
inches = 68"
centimeters = 68" × 2.54
centimeters = 172.72 cm

Thus, a height of 5' 8" is equal to exactly 172.72 centimeters.

How to Convert Centimeters to Inches

The process to convert a height from centimeters back to feet and inches is essentially the reverse of the steps above.

• Divide the height in centimeters by 2.54 to convert to inches.
• Divide the inches by 12 to find the number of feet. Take the whole number as the number of feet and note the remainder.
• Multiply the decimal remainder by 12 to find the remaining inches.

For example, let's convert a height of 165 cm to feet and inches using these steps:

inches = 165 cm ÷ 2.54
inches = 64.96"

feet = 64.96" ÷ 12
feet = 5.413' (5' & .413' remainder)

remaining inches = 0.413' × 12
remaining inches ≈ 5"

So, a height of 165 cm is roughly equal to 5' 5".

Interactive Height Conversion Chart

A quick reference for the most common male and female baseline heights searched in the United States:

Common Reasons for Converting Height in the USA

Unlike most of the world which exclusively utilizes the metric system, the US operates on a hybrid system. It is very common to need a height converter for:

• Driver's License & Identification: All State Department passports and DMV forms mandate imperial formatting.
• Medical and BMI Assessments: Doctors measure patients utilizing Stadiometers which frequently log directly into an EHR (Electronic Health Record) system in Centimeters to ensure universally standardized data. Tracking your Body Mass Index usually requires knowing your metric height.
• Athletics: Comparing personal heights against combine stats for the NFL or NBA tracking profiles.