Converters How-to guides
Cm to inches and feet: how to convert height without the confusion
Convert cm to inches and feet using simple formulas. Find 170 cm in feet and inches, compare common heights, and learn why 5.58 feet isn't 5 feet 58 inches.
You know your height in centimetres, but a form asks for feet and inches. A calculator gives you 5.58 feet. Where do the inches go? The answer takes one extra step, and it matters because decimal feet and feet-and-inches are different ways of writing the same height.
Start with 2.54 centimetres per inch
One inch is exactly 2.54 cm. To convert cm to inches, divide by 2.54. For example, 30 cm divided by 2.54 is about 11.81 inches. For the reverse conversion, multiply inches by 2.54: 12 inches is exactly 30.48 cm.
There are 12 inches in a foot, so one foot is 30.48 cm. Dividing by 30.48 gives decimal feet. That's useful for a calculation, but a height field with separate boxes for feet and inches needs a different layout.
Inches = centimetres ÷ 2.54
Decimal feet = centimetres ÷ 30.48
Centimetres = inches × 2.54What is 170 cm in feet and inches?
First convert 170 cm to inches: 170 ÷ 2.54 is about 66.9291 inches. Five full feet use 60 inches. Subtract those 60 inches and you have about 6.9291 inches left. So 170 cm is about 5 feet 6.93 inches, or 5 feet 7 inches when rounded to the nearest whole inch.
The decimal-feet answer is about 5.5774 feet. If you see it shortened to 5.58 feet, don't put 58 in an inches box. The fractional part of a foot must be multiplied by 12 to become inches. Use the unrounded value for that step.
A quick cm-to-inches height chart
These examples round the inch values to two decimal places. If a form only accepts whole inches, round the final height once rather than rounding at every step.
| Height in cm | Total inches (rounded) | Feet and inches (rounded) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 | 59.06 | 4 ft 11.06 in |
| 160 | 62.99 | 5 ft 2.99 in |
| 170 | 66.93 | 5 ft 6.93 in |
| 180 | 70.87 | 5 ft 10.87 in |
| 182.88 | 72.00 | 6 ft 0.00 in |
Check what the receiving field actually asks for
Open the Length converter and choose Centimetres as From. Choose Inches to get the total inches, then use the method above if you need separate feet and inches. Choosing Feet gives a decimal result, not a combined feet-and-inches reading.
Keep the unit beside the number when you copy it. A bare 170 or 66.93 can be misread once it leaves the converter. For a measurement with width and height, convert both dimensions separately and keep their order. A 30 cm by 40 cm frame is about 11.81 inches by 15.75 inches; converting only the first number leaves you with mixed units.
Common questions
How many centimetres is 5 feet 7 inches?
Five feet is 60 inches. Add 7 to get 67 inches, then multiply by 2.54. The result is exactly 170.18 cm.
Are centimeters and centimetres different units?
No. They are different spellings of the same unit, written cm. The same applies to meters and metres.
Sources and further reading
This guide combines the linked references with examples and the current behavior of ToolBarKit’s tools. Published by the ToolBarKit team; external guidance and tool behavior can change.