Length Converter

Convert between metres, feet, inches, miles and more, with exact factors. Free, and it works without an internet connection.

How it works

Every unit in this converter carries one number, its size in meters. The meter is the base, and its own number is 1. A kilometer is 1000. An inch is 0.0254.

A conversion is two steps. The tool multiplies your value by the number of the unit you entered, which gives the length in meters. It then divides by the number of the unit you asked for.

result = value * fromFactor / toFactor

  1. Type the number into the first field.
  2. Choose the unit you have, and the unit you want.
  3. Read the converted length in the second field.
  4. Use the swap button to turn the pair around.

Both fields accept a number. Type into the second field and the first one follows, so a conversion runs in either direction.

Nine units are available: meter, kilometer, centimeter, millimeter, inch, foot, yard, mile and nautical mile. Each one also answers to its symbol and to its common spellings, so a search for metre finds the meter and a search for mi finds the mile.

A result is rounded to 12 significant digits. The whole conversion runs in your browser.

Worked examples

5 kilometers in miles

A 5 kilometer race is 3.10685596119 miles. A 10 kilometer race is 6.21371192237 miles, and a marathon of 42.195 kilometers is 26.2187574565 miles.

The other direction ends in exact numbers, because the mile is defined from the meter. 1 mile is 1.609344 kilometers, 3 miles are 4.828032 kilometers, and 5 miles are 8.04672 kilometers.

A height of 175 centimeters in feet and inches

175 centimeters is 68.8976377953 inches. The same height in feet is 5.74146981627.

Read it the other way and a height of 6 feet is 182.88 centimeters, or 1.8288 meters. A 12 inch ruler is 30.48 centimeters.

Frequently asked questions

How many miles is 1 kilometer?

0.621371192237 miles. The reverse is exact: 1 mile is 1.609344 kilometers. For larger distances, 2 kilometers are 1.24274238447 miles and 100 kilometers are 62.1371192237 miles.

How many inches is 1 centimeter?

0.393700787402 inches. 1 inch is 2.54 centimeters, and that number is exact rather than rounded. 100 centimeters is 39.3700787402 inches, and so is 1 meter.

How many feet is 1 meter?

3.28083989501 feet. A foot is 0.3048 meters, a yard is 0.9144 meters, and 1 meter is 1.09361329834 yards. A yard is exactly 3 feet, and a mile is exactly 5280 feet and 1760 yards.

How long is a nautical mile?

1852 meters, which is 1.852 kilometers and 1.15077944802 miles. One kilometer is 0.539956803456 nautical miles. Ships and aircraft use the nautical mile because it is close to one minute of latitude.

How exact is the result?

A result is rounded to 12 significant digits. A value at or above 1e12, or below 1e-9, is shown in scientific notation instead.

Is anything I type stored?

No. There is no account, and nothing you type reaches a server. The application is stored in the browser after your first visit, so the converter works with no internet connection. No result is written down.

Good to know

The inch is exactly 25.4 millimeters. The international yard and pound agreement of 1959 fixed that number, and this converter uses it. Every other imperial length here follows from it and is exact too: the foot is 0.3048 meters, the yard is 0.9144 meters, and the mile is 1609.344 meters. The nautical mile is a separate definition, and it is exactly 1852 meters.

Common length conversions:

  • 1 kilometer = 0.621371192237 miles
  • 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers
  • 1 centimeter = 0.393700787402 inches
  • 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
  • 1 meter = 3.28083989501 feet
  • 1 foot = 0.3048 meters
  • 1 meter = 1.09361329834 yards
  • 1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers

Rounding shows up on a round trip. One kilometer converts to 0.621371192237 miles. Type that number back in as miles and the answer is 0.999999999999 kilometers, not 1. The 12 digits shown are not the last digits the conversion produced.

The nine converters share one workspace, so a value typed here is still in the field when you open another measurement. For the square of these units, use the Area Converter. For a distance covered over a time, use the Speed Converter.