FT to Meters Converter
Quick ft to meters conversion tool. Get height and distance conversions for sports, travel, real estate, and engineering applications instantly.
Feet to Meters: The Definitive Conversion Guide
The feet to meters conversion is fundamental to bridging the imperial and metric measurement systems. Feet are ingrained in American culture for measuring everything from human height to room dimensions and altitude, while meters are the universal standard used by the rest of the world for science, construction, sports, and everyday life.
Whether you are converting your height for an international form, translating architectural plans for an overseas project, understanding race distances in track and field, or simply trying to figure out how tall a 6-foot person is in meters — this guide provides the formula, the context, and the tools to make the conversion effortless.
What This Feet to Meters Converter Does
Our precision tool accepts both feet and inches for a complete conversion. Here's what you get:
- Meters (m): The primary output, calculated to four decimal places for scientific precision.
- Centimeters (cm): Often more useful for everyday conversions like height (e.g., 5′ 10″ = 177.80 cm).
- Total Inches: Converts the feet-and-inches input into a single inch value for reference.
- Yards: A bonus imperial output, since 1 yard = 3 feet, useful for fabric and sports contexts.
When to Use a Feet to Meters Converter
- Height Conversion for Travel: International ID cards, medical records, and visa applications require height in centimeters or meters. Converting 5′ 11″ to 1.80 m is essential.
- Real Estate and Construction: US floor plans use feet, but international building codes and materials are specified in meters. A 12 × 15 foot room is 3.66 × 4.57 meters.
- Track and Field: A 100-meter dash is 328.08 feet. Long jump distances, pole vault heights, and javelin throws are all metric.
- Aviation: Altitudes are reported in feet (flight levels), but runway lengths are often posted in meters internationally. A 10,000-foot runway is about 3,048 meters.
- Swimming: A 50-meter Olympic pool is 164.04 feet. A 25-yard pool (75 feet) is 22.86 meters. Swimmers training internationally need these conversions for lap times.
- Hiking and Geography: Mountain heights are listed differently by country. Mount Everest is 29,032 feet or 8,849 meters. Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet or 5,895 meters.
- Diving and Scuba: Depth in US diving is tracked in feet, while international standards (PADI) use meters. 100 feet of depth equals about 30.5 meters.
The Conversion Formula: Feet to Meters
The Exact Formula:
Meters = Feet × 0.3048
Breaking it down:
- 1 foot = 0.3048 meters — This is exact by international agreement (1959).
- 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters — More intuitive for everyday heights.
- 1 foot = 12 inches = 304.8 millimeters
- If you have feet AND inches: convert everything to decimal feet first. e.g., 5′ 10″ = 5 + (10/12) = 5.8333 feet, then × 0.3048.
Step-by-Step Example Calculations
Example 1: Converting Height — 5 feet 10 inches to Meters
- Convert to decimal feet:
5 + (10 ÷ 12) = 5.8333 feet - Multiply by 0.3048:
5.8333 × 0.3048 = 1.7780 meters - In centimeters:
177.80 cm
Context: 5′ 10″ is about 1.78 m — very close to the average male height in the US and Western Europe.
Example 2: Room Dimensions — 12 feet to Meters
- Start with:
12 feet - Multiply by 0.3048:
12 × 0.3048 = 3.6576 meters
Context: A 12 × 14 foot bedroom is approximately 3.66 × 4.27 meters — useful for buying metric furniture or carpet.
Example 3: Mountain Elevation — 14,505 feet to Meters
- Start with:
14,505 feet(Mount Whitney, highest peak in contiguous US) - Multiply by 0.3048:
14,505 × 0.3048 = 4,421.12 meters
How to Convert Feet to Meters Manually
Method 1: Multiply by 0.3 (Quick Estimate)
For a fast ballpark: 6 feet × 0.3 = 1.8 meters (exact: 1.8288). This is within 1.6% accuracy — fine for casual conversation.
Method 2: Divide by 3.28
Since 1 meter ≈ 3.281 feet, dividing feet by 3.28 gives meters: 100 feet ÷ 3.28 = 30.49 meters (exact: 30.48). Very close.
Method 3: Anchor Values
Memorize: 5 feet = 1.524 m, 6 feet = 1.829 m, 10 feet = 3.048 m, 100 feet = 30.48 m. Interpolate for values in between.
Height Conversion Chart: Feet & Inches to Meters
The most popular use of this converter is translating human height from feet-and-inches to meters:
| Height | Meters | Height | Meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 10″ | 1.4732 m | 5′ 8″ | 1.7272 m |
| 4′ 11″ | 1.4986 m | 5′ 9″ | 1.7526 m |
| 5′ 0″ | 1.5240 m | 5′ 10″ | 1.7780 m |
| 5′ 1″ | 1.5494 m | 5′ 11″ | 1.8034 m |
| 5′ 2″ | 1.5748 m | 6′ 0″ | 1.8288 m |
| 5′ 3″ | 1.6002 m | 6′ 1″ | 1.8542 m |
| 5′ 4″ | 1.6256 m | 6′ 2″ | 1.8796 m |
| 5′ 5″ | 1.6510 m | 6′ 3″ | 1.9050 m |
| 5′ 6″ | 1.6764 m | 6′ 4″ | 1.9304 m |
| 5′ 7″ | 1.7018 m | 6′ 5″ | 1.9558 m |
Distance Conversion Table: Feet to Meters
| Feet | Meters | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ft | 0.3048 m | 1 ruler length |
| 6 ft | 1.8288 m | Tall person's height |
| 10 ft | 3.048 m | Basketball hoop height |
| 100 ft | 30.48 m | 10-story building |
| 330 ft | 100.58 m | ≈ 100 meters (sprint distance) |
| 1,000 ft | 304.8 m | 3 football fields |
| 5,280 ft | 1,609.34 m | 1 mile |
| 29,032 ft | 8,849 m | Mount Everest summit |
Common Mistakes When Converting Feet to Meters
- Forgetting to Convert Inches Separately: 5′ 10″ is NOT 5.10 feet. It's 5 + (10/12) = 5.833 feet. Treating the inches as a decimal is the most common mistake.
- Using 0.3 Instead of 0.3048: Rounding to 0.3 gives a 1.6% error — that's nearly 3 cm off for a 6-foot person. Use at least 0.305 for reasonable accuracy.
- Confusing Meters with Centimeters: 5′ 10″ is 1.778 meters, not 177.8 meters. Always check the order of magnitude.
- Mixing Imperial Units: Yards ≠ feet. 1 yard = 3 feet = 0.9144 meters. Don't accidentally convert yards as feet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many meters is 1 foot?
1 foot equals exactly 0.3048 meters. This is the exact, internationally defined conversion factor, not an approximation.
How many meters is 6 feet?
6 feet × 0.3048 = 1.8288 meters (approximately 1.83 m or 183 cm). A 6-foot person is above average height in every country.
How do I convert feet and inches to meters?
First convert to total feet: feet + (inches ÷ 12). Then multiply by 0.3048. Example: 5′ 9″ = 5.75 feet × 0.3048 = 1.7526 meters.
How many feet in a meter?
1 meter = 3.28084 feet. This is the inverse of 1 foot = 0.3048 m. A meter is slightly longer than a yard (3 feet).
Is 5 feet 7 inches short?
5′ 7″ = 1.70 meters. This is close to the global average male height (~5′ 7.5″ / 171 cm) and above the global female average (~5′ 3″ / 161 cm). "Short" is subjective and varies by culture.
How tall is 1.75 meters in feet?
1.75 m ÷ 0.3048 = 5.741 feet = 5 feet 8.9 inches. Use our meters to feet converter for this direction.
What is a flight level of 35,000 feet in meters?
35,000 × 0.3048 = 10,668 meters (about 10.7 km). This is the typical cruising altitude of commercial aircraft.