Inches to Feet Converter
ConversionsChoose inches to feet or feet to inches and enter the value. You get decimal feet, the same length as feet plus inches (70 in = 5 ft 10 in) and centimeters. Two charts of common lengths follow below.
Step by step
70 / 12 = 5.8333
- A foot has 12 inches, so divide by 12: 70 / 12 = 5.8333 ft.
- The whole feet are 5. The remaining inches, rounded to 2 decimals, are 70 − 12 × 5 = 10, so the length is 5 ft 10 in.
- In metric, multiply by 2.54 cm per inch: 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm.
Once every entry is valid, you’ll see each step of the calculation here.
Formula
- in
- length in inches
- ft
- length in feet, as a decimal number
- 12
- inches in one foot, exact by definition
- 2.54
- centimeters in one inch, exact by definition
How it works
There are 12 inches in a foot. To convert inches to feet, divide by 12: 36 inches are 3 feet and 70 inches are 5.8333 feet. To convert feet to inches, multiply by 12: 6 feet are 72 inches and 10 feet are 120 inches. A length can be written as decimal feet (5.8333 ft) or as feet plus inches (5 ft 10 in). The converter shows both, so you can use whichever your plan, ruler or form asks for.
For feet plus inches, keep the whole feet and show the remainder in inches. 62 inches is 5 feet (60 in) and 2 inches, so a person who is 62 inches tall is 5 ft 2 in. Going the other way needs care with decimal feet: 5.83 ft is not 5 ft 83 in. Multiply 5.83 × 12 = 69.96 inches, which is 5 ft 9.96 in, or about 5 ft 10 in. Extra inches carry into feet from 12 inches up, so 3 ft 15 in is 4 ft 3 in. The remaining inches are shown with 2 decimals, so 11.995 inches or more count as a full foot: 5 ft 11.999 in is shown as 6 ft 0 in.
Since 1959 the inch has been exactly 2.54 centimeters, so a foot is exactly 30.48 cm (0.3048 m) and 5.5 inches are 13.97 cm. For metric lengths see the cm to inches converter and the cm to feet and inches converter. This page converts lengths only; areas such as square inches and square feet use the square of the factor, because 12 in × 12 in = 144 sq in = 1 sq ft.
The formula
Both factors are exact, so only the displayed digits are rounded. 70 / 12 is 5.83333... in decimal feet, while the feet-and-inches form of the same length is exactly 5 ft 10 in.
The remaining inches are shown with up to 2 decimals. When they would round up to 12.00 (a remainder of 11.995 inches or more), the converter counts one more whole foot and shows 0 inches: 71.999 in is 6 ft 0 in, never 5 ft 12 in, and the remaining inches you see run from 0 to 11.99. If you start from feet plus inches and type 15 in the extra-inches field, the total is still right: the whole feet and the remaining inches are recomputed from the total length.
Example
How tall is 62 inches in feet and inches?
- Divide by 12: 62 / 12 = 5.1667 ft.
- Five whole feet use up 60 inches, so 2 inches are left: 62 in is 5 ft 2 in, or 157.48 cm.
62 in = 5.1667 ft, which is 5 ft 2 in or 157.48 cm.
Load this example into the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How many inches are in a foot?
There are 12 inches in a foot, so one inch is 1/12 foot or 0.0833 ft. Two feet are 24 inches, three feet (one yard) are 36 inches and 6 feet are 72 inches.
How do you convert inches to feet?
Divide the inches by 12. 36 in is 3 ft, 32 in is 2.667 ft (2 ft 8 in) and 100 in is 8.333 ft (8 ft 4 in). For feet and inches, keep the whole number of feet and multiply the decimal part by 12 to get the inches.
What height is 62 inches in feet?
62 inches is 5.1667 feet, which is 5 ft 2 in. Other common heights: 64 in is 5 ft 4 in, 66 in is 5 ft 6 in, 70 in is 5 ft 10 in and 72 in is exactly 6 ft.
How can you convert feet to inches?
Multiply the feet by 12 and add any extra inches: 5 ft 10 in is 5 × 12 + 10 = 70 inches. Decimal feet work the same way: 5.83 ft is 5.83 × 12 = 69.96 inches.
What is 5.5 feet in feet and inches?
5.5 feet is 5 feet 6 inches, because 0.5 ft × 12 = 6 in. It is not 5 ft 5 in. The decimal part of a foot is always multiplied by 12 to get inches.
How many centimeters are in 5.5 inches?
5.5 inches are 13.97 centimeters, because one inch is exactly 2.54 cm. A full foot of 12 inches is 30.48 cm, and 70 inches are 177.8 cm.
Is 12x12 inches 1 sq ft?
Yes. A square of 12 inches by 12 inches has an area of 144 square inches, which is exactly 1 square foot. A 24x24 inch square is 4 sq ft. That is an area, so use area units, not the length converter above.
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B: Conversion Factors (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
- Approximate Conversions from U.S. Customary Measures to Metric (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
- Foot (unit of length) (Wikipedia)