Height is measured in centimetres on medical reports, passports and job forms, but most people in India, the UK and the US still think in feet and inches. This guide shows how to convert cm to feet and inches (and back), gives a complete height conversion chart from 150 cm to 190 cm, and explains the simple formulas so you can convert any height in your head.
The Key Conversion Facts
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm (exactly, by international agreement)
- 1 foot = 12 inches = 30.48 cm
- 1 metre = 100 cm ≈ 3.28 feet ≈ 39.37 inches
How to Convert cm to Feet and Inches
- Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get total inches.
- Divide the inches by 12. The whole number is the feet.
- The remainder is the extra inches.
Worked example: 170 cm
- 170 ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 inches
- 66.93 ÷ 12 = 5 remainder 6.93
- So 170 cm = 5 feet 6.9 inches, which most people round to 5′7″.
How to Convert Feet and Inches to cm
cm = (feet × 12 + inches) × 2.54
Example: 5 feet 5 inches = (5 × 12 + 5) × 2.54 = 65 × 2.54 = 165.1 cm.
Example: 6 feet = 72 × 2.54 = 182.9 cm.
Height Conversion Chart: cm to Feet and Inches
| Centimetres | Feet and inches | Decimal feet |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 4 ft 11.1 in | 4.92 ft |
| 152 cm | 4 ft 11.8 in (≈ 5′0″) | 4.99 ft |
| 155 cm | 5 ft 1.0 in | 5.09 ft |
| 157 cm | 5 ft 1.8 in (≈ 5′2″) | 5.15 ft |
| 160 cm | 5 ft 3.0 in | 5.25 ft |
| 163 cm | 5 ft 4.2 in | 5.35 ft |
| 165 cm | 5 ft 5.0 in | 5.41 ft |
| 168 cm | 5 ft 6.1 in | 5.51 ft |
| 170 cm | 5 ft 6.9 in (≈ 5′7″) | 5.58 ft |
| 173 cm | 5 ft 8.1 in | 5.68 ft |
| 175 cm | 5 ft 8.9 in (≈ 5′9″) | 5.74 ft |
| 178 cm | 5 ft 10.1 in | 5.84 ft |
| 180 cm | 5 ft 10.9 in (≈ 5′11″) | 5.91 ft |
| 183 cm | 6 ft 0.0 in | 6.00 ft |
| 185 cm | 6 ft 0.8 in | 6.07 ft |
| 190 cm | 6 ft 2.8 in | 6.23 ft |
Decimal Feet vs Feet and Inches
A common mistake is to read decimal feet as feet and inches. 5.58 feet is not 5 feet 58 inches or 5 feet 5.8 inches – it is 5 feet plus 0.58 of a foot. Multiply the decimal part by 12 to get inches: 0.58 × 12 = 6.96 inches, so 5.58 ft ≈ 5 ft 7 in. Forms that ask for "height in feet" usually expect feet and inches (such as 5′7″), while engineering drawings may use decimal feet.
Metres to Feet
Feet = metres × 3.28084
A height of 1.75 m is 1.75 × 3.28084 = 5.74 feet, or about 5′9″. To convert feet to metres, multiply by 0.3048: 6 ft = 1.83 m.
Quick Mental Conversion Tricks
- Every 2.5 cm is about 1 inch, so 10 cm ≈ 4 inches.
- 30 cm is about 1 foot (30.48 exactly).
- Anchor points: 152 cm ≈ 5 ft, 168 cm ≈ 5′6″, 183 cm ≈ 6 ft. Add or subtract 2.5 cm per inch from the nearest anchor.
Example: 178 cm is 10 cm above 168 cm, which is about 4 inches, so 178 cm ≈ 5′6″ + 4″ = 5′10″ – exactly what the chart shows.
Where You Need Height Conversions
- Government and police recruitment – minimum height requirements are often stated in cm.
- Passports, visas and ID cards – usually in cm.
- Medical reports and BMI – BMI uses metres, so convert your height before calculating. See our guide to BMI for Indians or use the BMI calculator, which accepts both units.
- Matrimonial profiles and sports – commonly in feet and inches.
- Children's growth – paediatric charts use cm; our height calculator predicts adult height.
How to Measure Your Height Accurately at Home
- Stand barefoot on a hard floor with your back, heels and head against a wall.
- Look straight ahead with your chin level.
- Place a flat object, such as a hardcover book, on your head at a right angle to the wall and mark the wall.
- Measure from the floor to the mark with a tape, in cm and inches.
- Measure in the morning – people are up to about 1 cm taller after sleeping than in the evening.
Feet and Inches to cm Chart
| Height | cm | Height | cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′10″ | 147.3 | 5′7″ | 170.2 |
| 4′11″ | 149.9 | 5′8″ | 172.7 |
| 5′0″ | 152.4 | 5′9″ | 175.3 |
| 5′1″ | 154.9 | 5′10″ | 177.8 |
| 5′2″ | 157.5 | 5′11″ | 180.3 |
| 5′3″ | 160.0 | 6′0″ | 182.9 |
| 5′4″ | 162.6 | 6′1″ | 185.4 |
| 5′5″ | 165.1 | 6′2″ | 188.0 |
| 5′6″ | 167.6 |
Converting Body Measurements: cm to Inches
Clothing sizes often use inches for waist and chest while tape measures and online forms may use centimetres. Divide centimetres by 2.54 to get inches, or multiply inches by 2.54 to get centimetres:
- Waist of 81 cm ≈ 32 inches; 91 cm ≈ 36 inches.
- Chest of 38 inches = 96.5 cm; 40 inches = 101.6 cm.
Health guidelines for Indian adults recommend keeping the waist below 90 cm (about 35.4 inches) for men and 80 cm (about 31.5 inches) for women.
Why Two Systems?
Most of the world uses the metric system (metres and centimetres) for official measurements. The imperial system (feet and inches) survives in everyday use in the United States, the United Kingdom and, informally, in India – especially for human height and property. Since 1959 the inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 cm, which is why conversions between the two are precise.
Children's Height in cm and Feet
Paediatricians record children's height in centimetres and compare it with growth charts for age and sex. A 5-year-old who is 110 cm tall is 3 feet 7.3 inches. To estimate how tall a child may be as an adult, our height calculator uses the parents' heights and works in both units.
Common Height Questions Answered
- Is 170 cm tall? 170 cm (about 5′7″) is close to the average adult male height in many countries and above average for women in India.
- How tall is 5′3″ in cm? Exactly 160.02 cm, usually written as 160 cm.
- What is 180 cm in feet? 5 feet 10.9 inches – almost 5′11″.
- What is 152 cm in feet? 4 feet 11.8 inches – just under 5 feet.
Rounding Heights Correctly
Heights are usually rounded to the nearest whole inch in feet and inches, or to the nearest whole centimetre. When a form sets a minimum height, do not round up: if the requirement is 165 cm and you measure 164.6 cm, you are below the limit. For official measurements, recruiting agencies measure candidates themselves, often to the nearest millimetre, so treat home measurements as an estimate.
Writing Feet and Inches
Feet are shown with a single prime mark (′) and inches with a double prime (″), so 5 feet 7 inches is written 5′7″. On keyboards people often use an apostrophe and a quotation mark instead: 5'7". In forms that ask for height in inches only, convert fully: 5′7″ = 67 inches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert cm to feet and inches?
Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get inches, then divide by 12. The whole number is feet and the remainder is inches. 170 cm = 66.93 inches = 5 ft 6.9 in.
What is 5 feet 5 inches in cm?
165.1 cm, because 5 ft 5 in is 65 inches and 65 × 2.54 = 165.1.
How many cm is 6 feet?
182.88 cm, usually rounded to 183 cm.
What is 160 cm in feet?
5 feet 3 inches (5.25 feet).
Is 5.5 feet the same as 5 feet 5 inches?
No. 5.5 feet is 5 feet 6 inches, because 0.5 of a foot is 6 inches.
How many cm are in 1 foot?
30.48 cm.
What is 175 cm in feet?
About 5 feet 8.9 inches, which rounds to 5′9″.
How many inches is 81 cm?
About 31.9 inches, which is usually rounded to 32 inches for waist sizes.
What is 5 feet 7 inches in cm?
170.2 cm, because 5 ft 7 in is 67 inches and 67 × 2.54 = 170.18.
How do I write my height in inches only?
Multiply the feet by 12 and add the inches. 5 feet 7 inches = 5 × 12 + 7 = 67 inches.
How many feet is 1.8 metres?
About 5.91 feet, or 5 feet 10.9 inches.
How do I convert metres to feet and inches?
Multiply metres by 100 to get centimetres, divide by 2.54 to get inches, then divide by 12 for feet and inches.
Why do height conversions online sometimes differ slightly?
Some sites round 2.54 cm to 2.5 or round to the nearest whole inch. Using exactly 2.54 cm per inch gives the precise answer.
Note: Conversions use 1 inch = 2.54 cm and are rounded to one decimal place.