How the Height Calculator Works
Height is given in feet and inches in the United States and in a few other countries, and in centimeters almost everywhere else. The Height Calculator changes between the two, and shows the result in several forms.
The rule
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (exactly) 1 foot = 12 inches = 30.48 centimeters centimeters = (feet x 12 + inches) x 2.54 total inches = centimeters / 2.54 feet = whole number of (total inches / 12) inches = what is left over
The value of 2.54 is exact, and it is the definition of the inch. So a conversion has no error apart from the rounding of the result.
What you enter
- Feet and inches to centimeters: enter the feet and the inches, for example 5 and 10.
- Centimeters to feet and inches: enter the height in centimeters, for example 178.
Worked examples
| You enter | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in | (5 x 12 + 10) x 2.54 = 70 x 2.54 | 177.8 cm (1.78 m) |
| 178 cm | 178 / 2.54 = 70.08 in = 5 ft 10.08 in | 5 ft 10.1 in |
| 6 ft 0 in | 72 x 2.54 | 182.9 cm |
| 5 ft 14 in | the 14 inches become 1 ft 2 in | 6 ft 2 in = 188 cm |
- You enter: 5 ft 10 in
Calculation: (5 x 12 + 10) x 2.54 = 70 x 2.54
Result: 177.8 cm (1.78 m) - You enter: 178 cm
Calculation: 178 / 2.54 = 70.08 in = 5 ft 10.08 in
Result: 5 ft 10.1 in - You enter: 6 ft 0 in
Calculation: 72 x 2.54
Result: 182.9 cm - You enter: 5 ft 14 in
Calculation: the 14 inches become 1 ft 2 in
Result: 6 ft 2 in = 188 cm
Table: centimeters to feet and inches
| Centimeters | Feet and inches |
|---|---|
| 150 cm | 4 ft 11.1 in |
| 155 cm | 5 ft 1 in |
| 160 cm | 5 ft 3 in |
| 165 cm | 5 ft 5 in |
| 170 cm | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 175 cm | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 180 cm | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 185 cm | 6 ft 0.8 in |
| 190 cm | 6 ft 2.8 in |
Chart: the same heights
The bars start at 140 cm, and each block is 2.5 cm. Gray is under 170 cm, green is 170 to 179 cm, and blue is 180 cm or more.
150 cm ████ 4 ft 11.1 in 155 cm ██████ 5 ft 1 in 160 cm ████████ 5 ft 3 in 165 cm ██████████ 5 ft 5 in 170 cm ████████████ 5 ft 6.9 in 175 cm ██████████████ 5 ft 8.9 in 180 cm ████████████████ 5 ft 10.9 in 185 cm ██████████████████ 6 ft 0.8 in 190 cm ████████████████████ 6 ft 2.8 in
Table: feet and inches to centimeters
| Feet and inches | Total inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 11 in | 59 in | 149.9 cm |
| 5 ft 0 in | 60 in | 152.4 cm |
| 5 ft 3 in | 63 in | 160 cm |
| 5 ft 6 in | 66 in | 167.6 cm |
| 5 ft 9 in | 69 in | 175.3 cm |
| 6 ft 0 in | 72 in | 182.9 cm |
| 6 ft 3 in | 75 in | 190.5 cm |
Chart: your height next to everyday objects
The calculator draws your height next to objects that you know. Here it is for 5 ft 10 in. Each block is about 7.6 cm.
Kitchen counter ████████████ 91 cm Yours (5 ft 10 in) ███████████████████████ 178 cm Standard door ███████████████████████████ 203 cm Basketball hoop ████████████████████████████████████████ 305 cm
A kitchen counter is about 36 inches (91 cm) high, a standard interior door is 80 inches (203 cm), and a basketball hoop is 10 feet (305 cm) above the floor.
Rounding
Feet and inches are shown to one decimal of an inch, and centimeters are shown to one decimal. The total inches are rounded first, and then the feet are taken out. This means that a height such as 182.85 cm is shown as 6 ft 0 in, and not as 5 ft 12 in.
Tips
- Measure without shoes, standing straight against a wall, with your heels on the floor and your eyes looking ahead.
- Heights change during the day. A person is slightly taller in the morning than in the evening.
- Use whole inches for a quick guess. For a rough change, multiply the inches by 2.5.
What this calculator does not include
- Comparing your height with an average, a growth chart or a health range.
- Predicting how tall a child will be.
- Heights above 300 cm (9 ft 10 in). The calculator asks you to check the numbers.
This tool changes units for general information. It does not give any health advice.