Length Unit Converter
Convert between different length units quickly and accurately. Supports meters, feet, inches, centimeters, and more.
About Length Unit Conversion
Length conversion is essential in many fields including engineering, construction, science, and everyday measurements. Different countries and industries use different units of measurement, making conversion between them a common need.
Common Length Units
Metric System
- Millimeter (mm) - 1/1000 of a meter
- Centimeter (cm) - 1/100 of a meter
- Meter (m) - Base unit of length in the metric system
- Kilometer (km) - 1000 meters
Imperial/US Customary System
- Inch (in) - 1/12 of a foot
- Foot (ft) - 12 inches
- Yard (yd) - 3 feet
- Mile (mi) - 5280 feet or 1760 yards
Conversion Factors
Here are some key conversion factors between metric and imperial units:
- 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
- 1 foot = 0.3048 meters
- 1 meter = 3.28084 feet
- 1 mile = 1.60934 kilometers
- 1 kilometer = 0.621371 miles
When to Use Different Units
- Millimeters - Precision engineering, small measurements
- Centimeters - Everyday measurements, clothing sizes
- Meters - Room dimensions, height measurements
- Kilometers - Distances between cities, running tracks
- Inches - Screen sizes, small measurements in the US
- Feet - Human height, room dimensions in the US
- Miles - Road distances in the US and UK
Example Conversion
To convert 5 feet to centimeters:
- First convert feet to inches: 5 feet × 12 = 60 inches
- Then convert inches to cm: 60 inches × 2.54 = 152.4 cm
Or directly: 5 feet × 30.48 = 152.4 cm (since 1 foot = 30.48 cm)