Converting meters to feet is one of the most common unit conversions in everyday life — from reading property dimensions and building plans to understanding height measurements and distances in international contexts. Our Meter to Feet Calculator gives you an instant, precise conversion along with the full step-by-step working, so you understand exactly how the answer is reached.
You can convert meters to feet, or switch to the reverse calculator below and convert feet back to meters. Both calculators show your result broken down into feet and inches as well as the combined decimal feet value.
Meters to Feet Calculator
Enter a value in meters to convert it to feet and inches. The result is shown as decimal feet, as feet and inches combined, and as inches only.
Feet to Meters Calculator
Enter a value in feet — or enter feet and inches separately — to convert back to meters. You can use decimal feet (e.g. 5.9) or enter whole feet and inches (e.g. 5 feet and 11 inches).
The Conversion Factor: How Many Feet Are in a Meter?
One meter is exactly equal to 3.28084 feet. This is the internationally defined conversion factor based on the exact relationship between the metric and imperial systems. The precise value comes from the fact that one inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimeters, and there are 12 inches in a foot and 1,000 millimeters in a meter.
1 meter = 3 feet and 3.3701 inches
1 foot = 0.3048 meters (exact)
Meters to feet: multiply by 3.28084
Feet to meters: multiply by 0.3048
Example: 1.75 m × 3.28084 = 5.7415 ft = 5 feet and 8.9 inches
How to Convert Meters to Feet and Inches
When expressing a measurement in feet and inches rather than decimal feet, the conversion has two steps. First, multiply the meters value by 3.28084 to get decimal feet. Then separate the whole number (feet) from the decimal portion and multiply the decimal by 12 to get the remaining inches.
Step 2: Whole number part = feet
Step 3: Decimal part × 12 = inches
Example — Convert 2 meters:
Step 1: 2 × 3.28084 = 6.56168 feet
Step 2: Whole number = 6 feet
Step 3: 0.56168 × 12 = 6.74 inches
Result: 2 meters = 6 feet and 6.74 inches
Quick Reference: Common Conversions
Here are the most frequently needed meter to feet conversions, which are useful to have memorised for everyday use.
1.6 m = 5 ft 3 in | 1.7 m = 5 ft 6.9 in | 1.75 m = 5 ft 8.9 in
1.8 m = 5 ft 10.9 in | 1.83 m = 6 ft 0 in | 2 m = 6 ft 6.7 in
3 m = 9 ft 10.1 in | 5 m = 16 ft 4.8 in | 10 m = 32 ft 9.7 in
100 m = 328 ft 1 in | 1 km = 3,280 ft 10 in
When Is This Conversion Used?
The Metric System vs The Imperial System
The metric system (the International System of Units, or SI) is based on powers of ten, making arithmetic straightforward — 1 kilometer is exactly 1,000 meters, 1 meter is exactly 100 centimeters, and so on. It is the official system of measurement in almost every country in the world and is used universally in science and medicine.
The imperial system uses feet, inches, yards, and miles, with conversion factors that are not based on powers of ten (12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 1,760 yards in a mile). It remains the primary everyday system in the United States and is still widely used in the United Kingdom for certain measurements such as road distances and human height.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1 meter exactly 3 feet?
No. One meter is approximately 3.28084 feet, not exactly 3. Using 3 as a rough estimate gives an error of about 6.4%, which is fine for casual use but not for precise work. For accuracy, always use the full conversion factor of 3.28084.
What is the difference between feet and foot?
“Foot” is the singular form and “feet” is the plural. One foot equals 12 inches. The abbreviation is ft or the prime symbol (5′). Inches are abbreviated as in or the double prime symbol (5’11”).
How do I convert centimeters to feet and inches?
First divide the centimeters by 100 to get meters, then apply the meters-to-feet conversion. Alternatively, divide the centimeters by 30.48 to get feet directly. For example, 175 cm divided by 30.48 gives 5.7415 feet, which is 5 feet and 8.9 inches.
Why does 6 feet equal approximately 1.83 meters?
Multiplying 6 by 0.3048 (the exact number of meters per foot) gives 1.8288 meters, which rounds to 1.83 meters. This is why 6 feet is the commonly cited metric equivalent, even though the precise value is 1.8288 m.