Centimeters to Feet Converter

Use this converter to easily convert between Centimeters and Feet (cm to ft, cm to feet).

A foot is defined as 0.3048 of a meter, so 30.48 centimeters equal one feet, since 1 cm = 0.01 meters. The symbol for centimeters is "cm", while "ft" is used for feet. Sometimes a single quote does the same job, e.g. 6' tall means 6 feet tall.

Both feet and centimeters are units for measuring length or dimensions of an object. Their magnitude is somewhat different, but there is significant overlap in their application, for example measuring human height, or waist circumference. Both units are used in construction, architecture, landscaping, and so on. However, feet are also used to measure small distances, while centimeters are usually used only for very small distances of up to a couple of meters.

The origin of using the unit of foot is unclear as it goes very far back, likely before writing was invented. It was a part of many local systems of units, including the Greek, Roman, Chinese, French, and English systems of measurement. The length of a foot varied from location to location and sometimes depended on which trade it was applied to, but the length was typically between 250 mm and 335 mm. In medieval Europe the foot was taken as the average of length of the feet of randomly sampled men from a local community. Since 1959 the foot is defined using the metric system. Currently the US is the only country which prefers using the foot in preference to the meter in commerce, engineering and standardization of all kinds.

The centimeter is part of the metric system, adopted in most countries nowadays. The base unit is the meter, which is defined by the distance light travels in vacuum in a fraction of a second. A centimeter is defined as 1/100 of a meter, so 1cm = 0.01m.

Conversion from feet to centimeters requires you to divide the measurement in feet to 30.48. Getting the centimeter equivalent of a foot measurement is much easier using our free online cm to ft converter above.

Sample task: convert 185 cm to feet. Solution:

Formula: cm / 30.48 = ft Calculation: 185 cm / 30.48 = 6.069554 ft End result: 185 cm is equal to 6.069554 ft

185 cm to feet is 6.06, so a person wight a height of 185 cm is approximately 6 feet and one inch tall.

If you are looking to compare your height or your child's height to that of others of the same gender and country of residence, you will find our height comparison tool useful.

1 NIST Special Publication 330 (2008) - "The International System of Units (SI)", edited by Barry N.Taylor and Ambler Thompson

2 International Organization for Standardization (1993). ISO Standards Handbook: Quantities and units (3rd edition). Geneva: ISO. ISBN 92-67-10185-4.

If you'd like to cite this online converter resource and information as provided on the page, you can use the following citation: Georgiev G.Z., "Cm to ft Converter", [online] Available at: https://www.gigacalculator.com/converters/convert-cm-to-ft-centimeters-to-feet.php URL [Accessed Date: 14 Jul, 2025].