One foot equals exactly 30.48 centimetres (since the 1959 international yard and pound agreement). To convert feet to centimetres, multiply by 30.48. For feet-and-inches, convert each part separately: feet × 30.48 + inches × 2.54. Example: 5 ft 10 in = (5 × 30.48) + (10 × 2.54) = 152.4 + 25.4 = 177.8 cm. This is equivalent to multiplying total inches by 2.54.
The most common use is height conversion. Medical, athletic, and fashion contexts in Europe record height in centimetres, while US sports statistics, driving licences, and personal data use feet and inches. Manufacturing drawings from US companies specify in inches and feet; metric conversions are required for European production. For structural engineering, 1 foot = 30.48 cm and 1 inch = 2.54 cm are exact constants.
Feet to Centimetres
Feet
cm
Feet & Inches
cm
1 ft
30.48
5 ft 0 in
152.40
2 ft
60.96
5 ft 6 in
167.64
3 ft
91.44
5 ft 10 in
177.80
4 ft
121.92
6 ft 0 in
182.88
5 ft
152.40
6 ft 4 in
193.04
Feet to Centimeters for Height and Construction
One foot equals exactly 30.48 cm (since 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm). Height in the US is expressed in feet and inches; medical and scientific contexts use centimeters. Converting 5′10″ (70 inches) to centimeters: 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm. Ceiling height of 8 feet equals 243.84 cm; a standard door at 6′8″ (80 inches) equals 203.2 cm. International sporting governing bodies use centimeters: basketball backboards, high jump heights, and long jump distances are all in cm in IAAF and FIBA standards. Architects in metric countries receive US room dimension specifications in feet and need to convert to plan metric structures. Understanding feet-to-cm conversion also simplifies furniture buying from global retailers that list product dimensions in different units depending on the market version of their website.
