Centimeters to Feet – Fast Reference & Examples
Convert cm to feet by dividing centimeters by 30.48 (since 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm → 12 × 2.54 = 30.48 cm exactly). Reverse: feet × 30.48 = cm.
Formulas
ft = cm ÷ 30.48
cm = ft × 30.48
Feet & Inches: inchesTotal = cm ÷ 2.54 → ft = floor(inchesTotal ÷ 12) → inches = inchesTotal − ft × 12
Quick Values
100 cm ≈ 3.2808 ft · 150 cm ≈ 4.9213 ft · 160 cm ≈ 5.2493 ft · 170 cm ≈ 5.5774 ft · 175 cm ≈ 5.7415 ft · 180 cm ≈ 5.9055 ft · 200 cm ≈ 6.5617 ft.
Step-by-Step Example (172 cm)
- Apply formula: 172 ÷ 30.48 = 5.64303… ft
- Rounded (4 decimals): 5.6430 ft
- Optional inches split: 172 ÷ 2.54 = 67.7165 in → 5 ft (60 in) remainder 7.7165 in ≈ 7.72 in
- Result: 172 cm ≈ 5.6430 ft (≈ 5' 7.72")
Practical Uses
- Human height reporting in mixed unit regions
- Interior & furniture specification comparisons
- Sports and fitness equipment sizing
- Construction drawings converting metric to imperial sourcing
Accuracy & Tips
- 30.48 is exact—don’t approximate to 30.5 in precise work
- Mental estimate: cm ÷ 30 ≈ ft (slightly high) then subtract about 1.6% (×0.984)
- Feet & inches: use inchesTotal = cm ÷ 2.54 for the cleanest split
- Round to 2 decimals for casual height; keep 4–6 for technical logs
More Examples
| cm | Feet (dec) | Feet + Inches |
|---|
| 150 | 4.9213 | 4' 11.06" |
| 160 | 5.2493 | 5' 2.99" |
| 165 | 5.4134 | 5' 4.96" |
| 170 | 5.5774 | 5' 6.93" |
| 175 | 5.7415 | 5' 8.90" |
| 180 | 5.9055 | 5' 10.87" |
| 185 | 6.0696 | 6' 0.83" |
| 200 | 6.5617 | 6' 6.74" |
FAQ
- Is 30.48 exact? Yes—defined internationally.
- How to get feet & inches from cm? inchesTotal = cm ÷ 2.54 → split into ft + remainder inches.
- Why use feet & inches? Legacy usage in construction and anthropometric reporting.
- Best rounding for height? Usually 2 decimals (or nearest 1/4 inch in inches form).