Feet to Meters Converter

How to Convert Feet to Meters?

To convert feet to meters, multiply by 0.3048. One foot equals exactly 0.3048 meters (30.48 centimeters). Conversely, one meter equals 3.28084 feet. A room that is 10 feet long measures 3.048 meters. A 6-foot-tall person stands 1.8288 meters tall. Enter any value in the converter above for instant conversion between feet and meters in both directions.

Quick Reference Table

1 ft = 0.305 m. 2 ft = 0.610 m. 3 ft = 0.914 m. 4 ft = 1.219 m. 5 ft = 1.524 m. 6 ft = 1.829 m. 7 ft = 2.134 m. 8 ft = 2.438 m. 9 ft = 2.743 m. 10 ft = 3.048 m. 15 ft = 4.572 m. 20 ft = 6.096 m. 25 ft = 7.620 m. 30 ft = 9.144 m. 50 ft = 15.240 m. 100 ft = 30.480 m. For quick mental math, multiply feet by 0.3 for a rough estimate (accurate within 1.6%). Or divide feet by 3.3 for meters.

Height Conversion: Feet and Inches to Meters

Converting human height requires handling feet and inches together. First convert everything to inches (feet times 12 plus inches), then multiply by 0.0254 for meters. A person who is 5 feet 10 inches tall: (5 times 12) + 10 = 70 inches, times 0.0254 = 1.778 meters. Common heights: 5 ft 0 in = 1.524 m. 5 ft 4 in = 1.626 m. 5 ft 6 in = 1.676 m. 5 ft 8 in = 1.727 m. 5 ft 10 in = 1.778 m. 6 ft 0 in = 1.829 m. 6 ft 2 in = 1.880 m. 6 ft 4 in = 1.930 m. International passports, medical records, and athletic profiles typically use meters, while US daily conversation uses feet and inches.

Feet to Meters in Construction

International construction projects require constant conversion between feet and meters. US building codes specify dimensions in feet and inches. European standards use meters and centimeters. A standard US ceiling height of 8 feet equals 2.44 meters. A 12-foot room is 3.66 meters. A 2,000-square-foot house is approximately 186 square meters. When importing building materials or working with international architects, precise conversion prevents costly measurement errors. Always convert at the design stage rather than during construction, and verify critical dimensions in both units on final drawings.

Elevation and Altitude

Aviation uses feet for altitude worldwide (even in metric countries), while hiking and geography may use either system depending on the region. Mount Everest: 29,032 feet = 8,849 meters. Commercial cruising altitude: 35,000 feet = 10,668 meters. Denver, Colorado (Mile High City): 5,280 feet = 1,609 meters. Dead Sea (lowest point on land): -1,412 feet = -430.5 meters. Elevation signs on highways may show both units. Trail markers in US national parks use feet, while European alpine trails use meters. Scuba diving depth is measured in feet (US) or meters (rest of world), with 1 atmosphere of pressure added per 33 feet (10 meters) of depth.

Feet to Meters in Sports

American football fields are 100 yards (300 feet, 91.44 meters) long. Basketball courts are 94 feet (28.65 meters) long. A baseball diamond has 90 feet (27.43 meters) between bases. Swimming pools are 25 meters (82.02 feet) or 50 meters (164.04 feet). International track events use meters (100m, 200m, 400m) while some US field events historically used feet for measurements. Golf uses yards in the US and meters in most other countries. Understanding the conversion helps international sports fans follow events measured in unfamiliar units and helps athletes compare performances across different measurement standards.

Why Is the Conversion Exactly 0.3048?

Like the inch, the international foot was defined in 1959 as exactly 0.3048 meters (12 times 0.0254 meters per inch). This replaced slightly varying national definitions. The US survey foot (1200/3937 meters, approximately 0.30480061 meters) remained in use for US land surveying until 2023 to avoid remapping costs from the tiny difference. For all practical non-surveying purposes, one foot equals exactly 0.3048 meters, making the conversion precise. This exact definition means there is no rounding error in feet-to-meters conversion, only in how many decimal places you choose to display. This precision makes feet-to-meters one of the cleanest unit conversions available, unlike many historical conversions that rely on approximations.

Frequently asked questions