The two steps, and where the numbers come from
One inch is defined as exactly 2.54 cm, so divide centimetres by 2.54 for total inches, then split that into whole feet plus leftover inches. For a rough figure in your head, remember 5 ft = 152 cm and 6 ft = 183 cm and count inches at about 2.5 cm each.
Height reference, cm to ft and in
| Centimetres | Feet & inches | Rounded |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 4 ft 11.1 in | 4′11″ |
| 155 cm | 5 ft 1.0 in | 5′1″ |
| 160 cm | 5 ft 3.0 in | 5′3″ |
| 165 cm | 5 ft 5.0 in | 5′5″ |
| 170 cm | 5 ft 6.9 in | 5′7″ |
| 175 cm | 5 ft 8.9 in | 5′9″ |
| 180 cm | 5 ft 10.9 in | 5′11″ |
| 185 cm | 6 ft 0.8 in | 6′1″ |
| 190 cm | 6 ft 2.8 in | 6′3″ |
| 200 cm | 6 ft 6.7 in | 6′7″ |
Going the other way, the round heights land at 5′0″ = 152.4 cm, 5′6″ = 167.6 cm, 6′0″ = 182.9 cm.
The mistake that trips people up
- 5′9″ is not 5.9 ft. Inches are twelfths, so 5 ft 9 in is 5.75 ft (9 ÷ 12 = 0.75). Feeding 5.9 into a decimal-feet field gives the wrong answer.
- A foot is 30.48 cm, not 30. The round 30 cm looks close but drifts about 1.6%. At 6 ft that is nearly 3 cm of error.
- Don’t over-round. 175 cm is 5 ft 8.9 in. Most people just say 5′9″, but the extra decimals are false precision.
Common questions
How many feet and inches is 170 cm?
170 cm is 5 feet 6.9 inches, which people usually round to 5 ft 7 in. That is close to the worldwide average height for men.
Is 180 cm 6 feet?
No. 180 cm is 5 ft 10.9 in, just short of 5 ft 11 in. A true 6 feet is 182.88 cm, so 180 cm is nearly 3 cm under.
How do I convert cm to feet and inches?
Divide the centimetres by 2.54 to get total inches. The whole part of dividing that by 12 is the feet; the remainder is the inches. For 175 cm: 175 divided by 2.54 is 68.9 inches, which is 5 ft 8.9 in.
