Length converter
Convert cm, inches, feet, meters, miles and nautical miles, with a real-world length comparison.
Length result
Length
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Real-world comparison
Where your length falls between a credit card and a marathon, on a log scale.
Conversion reference
Select a row to load it into the converter above.
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 2.54 cm (exact) |
| 1 foot | 30.48 cm (exact) |
| 1 yard | 0.9144 m (exact) |
| 1 mile | 1.609344 km (exact) |
| 1 nautical mile | 1.852 km (exact) |
| 1 meter | 3.28084 feet |
How it works
Length conversion expresses a distance in a different unit of measurement. The exact anchor is 1 inch equals 2.54 cm, from which every metric-imperial length relationship is derived.
- Enter a length
Type a value or pick a quick length above.
- Read every unit at once
Select any result to copy it, including nautical miles.
- See it in context
The comparison shows what your length is close to in everyday life.
Metric, imperial and nautical miles
There are exactly 2.54 centimeters in 1 inch, a defined constant, not an approximation. So 12 inches, 1 foot, is 30.48 cm, and 1 meter is 39.3701 inches. A 6-foot person is 6 times 30.48, which is 182.88 cm tall. Multiply miles by 1.609344 to get kilometers: 1 mile is 1.609344 km, and a marathon, 26.2 miles, is about 42.195 km.
Nautical miles are not statute miles
A nautical mile is 1,852 meters, 1.852 km, while a statute (land) mile is 1,609.344 meters, 1.609344 km. Nautical miles are used in aviation and maritime navigation because 1 nautical mile equals exactly 1 arcminute of latitude, which makes chart calculations straightforward. 1 nautical mile is about 1.15 statute miles.
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters are in an inch?
There are exactly 2.54 centimeters in 1 inch. This is a defined constant, not an approximation. So 12 inches, 1 foot, equals 30.48 cm, and 1 meter equals 39.3701 inches. For example, a 6-foot person is 6 times 30.48, which is 182.88 cm tall.
How do I convert miles to kilometers?
Multiply miles by 1.609344 to get kilometers. So 1 mile equals 1.609344 km, and a marathon, 26.2 miles, is about 42.195 km. Going the other way, divide km by 1.609344, or multiply by 0.621371. A speed of 100 km/h is about 62.1 mph.
What is the difference between a nautical mile and a regular mile?
A nautical mile is 1,852 meters, 1.852 km, while a statute (land) mile is 1,609.344 meters, 1.609344 km. Nautical miles are used in aviation and maritime navigation because 1 nautical mile equals exactly 1 arcminute of latitude, which makes chart calculations straightforward. 1 nautical mile is about 1.15 statute miles.
How many feet and inches is 175 cm?
175 cm divided by 30.48 gives 5 feet, then the remainder, 175 minus 5 times 30.48, is 22.6 cm, which divided by 2.54 gives about 8.9 inches. So 175 cm is approximately 5 feet 8.9 inches, usually stated as 5'9". A quick shortcut is to divide cm by 30.48 for total feet as a decimal.
How many meters are in a yard, and how does it differ from a foot?
1 yard equals 0.9144 meters exactly, while 1 foot equals 0.3048 meters. A yard equals 3 feet or 36 inches. The yard is commonly used in American football, where a field is 100 yards long. For fabric, 1 yard is close to 1 meter, about 91% of a meter, so a rough substitute when reading a metric pattern.