Whether you're reading a recipe, following instructions from another country, or planning a run, converting between metric and imperial length units is a daily need. This converter handles all common units instantly.
Metric vs imperial
The metric system (millimetres, centimetres, metres, kilometres) scales by powers of ten, which makes conversions within it easy. Imperial units (inches, feet, yards, miles) have historical ratios — 12 inches to a foot, 3 feet to a yard, 1,760 yards to a mile — so a calculator saves a lot of mental effort.
The key exact conversion
The bridge between the two systems is the inch, defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres. Every other metric-to-imperial length conversion follows from that single definition, which is why this converter's results are precise rather than approximate.
Frequently asked questions
One metre equals about 3.28084 feet. So 5 metres is roughly 16.4 feet.
Divide the number of centimetres by 2.54, since one inch is exactly 2.54 cm. For example, 30 cm ÷ 2.54 ≈ 11.81 inches.
One mile equals approximately 1.60934 kilometres. To go the other way, one kilometre is about 0.62137 miles.