ft to cm: 1 ft = 30.48 cm (exact)

The formula

cm = ft × 30.48

Where the factor comes from — each unit by its definition, then its size in SI:

1 ft = 12 × in = 0.3048 m
1 cm = m / 100 = 0.01 m

Dividing the two SI sizes gives the factor: 30.48, exact — every step above is a definition, not a measurement. The reverse factor is 0.0328083989501.

Every formula on this site takes lengths in metres. Heights, distances and stopping distances quoted in feet, inches or miles have to be converted first — getting it wrong by a factor of 3.28 is the most common unit slip in homework.

Worked examples

A sprint track straight (100 m): 328.084 ft = 10,000 cm — 328.084 × 30.48 = 10,000
A marathon (42.195 km): 138,435 ft = 4,219,500 cm — 138,435 × 30.48 = 4,219,500
A tall doorway: 6 ft = 182.88 cm — 6 × 30.48 = 182.88
A school ruler: 0.984252 ft = 30 cm — 0.984252 × 30.48 = 30

Frequently asked questions

How many centimetres is 1 ft?

1 ft = 30.48 cm, exactly, from the unit definitions.

How do I convert centimetres back to feet?

Divide by 30.48 — or multiply by 0.0328083989501: 1 cm = 0.0328083989501 ft.

ft to cm conversion table

Feet (ft)	Centimetres (cm)
1	30.48
2	60.96
3	91.44
4	121.92
5	152.4
6	182.88
7	213.36
8	243.84
9	274.32
10	304.8
15	457.2
20	609.6
25	762
30	914.4
40	1,219.2
50	1,524
60	1,828.8
70	2,133.6
75	2,286
80	2,438.4
90	2,743.2
100	3,048
150	4,572
200	6,096
250	7,620
500	15,240
1,000	30,480

Definitions: International yard and pound agreement (1959): 1 yd = 0.9144 m, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg; adopted in NIST SP 811 B.8 and NIST Handbook 44 Appendix C · BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition (2019), Tables 2, 4 and 8 — https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/si-brochure. Machine value of the factor: 30.48.