TOOLConvert any length or distance
This converter handles the full range of everyday length units — millimeters, centimeters, meters and kilometers on the metric side, and inches, feet, yards and miles on the imperial side. Type a value, choose what you're converting from and to, and the answer updates instantly, with a quick "1 unit = X" rate shown underneath.
Common length conversions
These metric-to-imperial factors are internationally defined exact values, so the conversions here are precise rather than approximate.
How to convert length by hand
Every length conversion is a single multiplication by a fixed factor. To go from a smaller-sounding unit to a larger one you divide; the other way you multiply. Two worked examples:
- 5 miles to kilometres: 5 × 1.609344 = 8.05 km.
- 6 feet to centimetres: 6 × 30.48 = 182.88 cm (since 1 ft = 0.3048 m).
The calculator above does this instantly in both directions, but knowing the factor lets you sanity-check a result in your head — a mile is roughly 1.6 km, a metre a little over 3 feet.
Length conversions in everyday life
You reach for these constantly: reading a height in feet and inches from a metric measurement, converting a race distance from km to miles, following an overseas recipe or DIY plan, or checking a screen or TV size quoted in inches. Because the imperial-to-metric factors used here are internationally defined exact values, the results are precise rather than rounded approximations.
Need other units? Switch weights with the weight converter or pace with the speed converter. For a focused walkthrough of the most common one, read cm to inches.
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters are in an inch?
There are exactly 2.54 centimeters in one inch. To convert inches to centimeters, multiply by 2.54; to go the other way, divide by 2.54.
How do I convert miles to kilometers?
Multiply the number of miles by 1.609344 to get kilometers. One mile equals about 1.61 km, so 10 miles is roughly 16.09 km.
Are these conversions exact?
Yes. The imperial-to-metric factors used here are the internationally defined exact values, such as 1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1 foot = 0.3048 m, so results are precise.