What Units of Length are Supported by the Converter?

This length converter helps you convert values between metric and imperial units. You can use it for very small measurements like nanometers (nm), micrometers (μm), and millimeters (mm). It also works for common units like inches (in), feet (ft), yards (yd), centimeters (cm), decimeters (dm), and meters (m). For longer distances, it supports less commonly used units like kilometers (km), miles (mi), and nautical miles (M), and leagues (lea).

You can convert between the metric system (such as meters to centimeters or centimeters to meters), the imperial system (such as feet to yards, yards to feet, inches to feet, or feet to inches), and even between the two systems. For example, you can convert feet to meters, meters to feet, meters to yards, or yards to meters.

The online length converter uses the official definitions of units set in 1959 and by the International System of Units (SI) [1]. It also follows the ISO rules for units [2]. All symbols match the SI rules. But in some places, the same symbol, such as “m”, is still used for both miles and meters, which can cause confusion.

This tool provides results with an accuracy of up to nine decimal places. This level of detail is sufficient for almost all uses..

Metric vs. Imperial Units of Length

Since 1959, both metric and imperial units have used the meter as a base. Imperial units are still used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and a few other countries. The metric system is official in most other parts of the world. In some areas, imperial units remain common due to old habits. A good example is electronics, where screen sizes are often expressed in inches rather than centimeters or millimeters.

In addition to those cases, people prefer the metric system because it is simple and easy to use in everyday life, science, and engineering. Length converters are helpful when you need to compare or convert values between two systems.

Length Conversion Table

To find out what the conversion factors are between nine popular length units, check out this length conversion table:

What is an Inch?

An inch is a small unit of length in the US and imperial systems. It is written as “in”. People often compare an inch to the width of a thumb, but that is not accurate. An inch is equal to 2.54 cm. Things like a person’s height, shoe size, and TV screens are also often measured in inches.

What is a Foot?

A foot is a unit of length smaller than an inch and is written as “ft”. There are 12 inches in a foot. In meters, a foot is equal to 0.3048 meters. People use feet to measure body height, room size, and many other things.

What is a Meter?

The meter is the base unit of length in the SI (International System of Units). It is written as “m” and is used all over the world. In science, the meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

Metric Measurement System

The metric system, also called the SI system, is used worldwide. The unit of length in this system is the meter (m). It works on the decimal system, which makes it easy to convert larger units to smaller ones. Some of the main SI units are:

• SI unit of length: meter (m)
• SI unit of weight: kilogram (kg)
• SI unit of time: second (s)

There are also other SI units for different measurements.

Length Conversion Chart

If you want to quickly change between units in the same system, use these easy length conversion charts:

Metric Measurement System

Length conversion chart – metric system: km → m → cm → mm.

Examples:

• 6 km = 6 × 1000 = 6000 m
• 180 cm = 180 ÷ 100 = 1.8 m

Imperial / US Measurement System

Length conversion chart – imperial system: mi → yd → ft → in.

Examples:

• 5 yd = 5 × 3 = 15 ft
• 144 in = 144 ÷ 12 = 12 ft

Here is a list of the most used length conversions that people ask bout:

Meters to Feet / Feet to Meters

Want to know how many feet equal one meter?

• 1 meter ≈ 3.281 feet (around 3 feet 3⅜ inches)
• 1 foot = 0.3048 meter

Centimeters to Inches / Inches to Centimeters

Here is how centimeters and inches match:

• 1 centimeter ≈ 0.3937 inches
• 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

Feet to Inches / Inches to Feet

To change between feet and inches:

• 1 foot = 12 inches
• 1 inch ≈ 0.08333 feet (1/12 of a foot)

Feet to Yards / Yards to Feet

See how feet and yards connect:

• 1 yard = 3 feet
• 1 foot ≈ 0.3333 yards (1/3 of a yard)

Feet to Miles / Miles to Feet

Check how many feet go in a mile:

• 1 foot ≈ 0.00018939 mile
• 1 mile = 5280 feet

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