Feet to Meters Converter
Convert feet to meters, centimeters and kilometers in one step.
How to use this feet to meters
- 1Enter your measurement in feet — use decimal feet for fractional values (e.g., 6.5 for six and a half feet).
- 2The converter shows meters, centimeters, and kilometers instantly.
- 3For room dimensions, enter the length and width separately to convert each dimension independently.
- 4For altitude conversions, note that aviation uses feet universally — even in countries that otherwise use metric — so feet-to-meters is essential for understanding climb rates and elevations.
- 5For construction and architecture, centimeters or millimeters are the working units internationally, so use the cm output for technical drawings.
- 6Mental shortcut: 1 foot ≈ 30 cm, and 10 feet ≈ 3 meters (slightly under).
How it's calculated
meters = feet × 0.3048. 1 foot = 0.3048 m exactly.
About the Feet to Meters
The foot-to-meter conversion is one of the most practically important unit conversions because feet are used in contexts that span multiple industries — from construction and real estate to aviation and athletics — and converting to meters is essential for international communication and technical documentation.
One foot is exactly 0.3048 meters by international definition, making the conversion mathematically clean and exact. The foot has been a unit of measurement for millennia, with origins in human anatomy — the length of a human foot — though it was standardized to its current precise value in the 20th century. The modern international foot (as opposed to the US survey foot, which differed very slightly) has been used since 1959.
Real estate is one of the most significant practical applications. Property listings in the US express room dimensions and total floor area in feet and square feet. When dealing with international buyers, investors, or when comparing properties across markets, converting to meters is essential. A 2,000 square foot house is approximately 185.8 square meters; a 12 × 15 foot bedroom is approximately 3.66 × 4.57 meters. The conversion allows direct comparison with European, Australian, and Asian market listings that use metric measurements.
Construction and architecture require particular precision in measurement conversion. When US architects or contractors work with international products, materials, or clients, converting between feet and meters becomes a workflow requirement. Building codes, structural specifications, and material dimensions cross both systems — concrete formwork specified in metric, floor plans drawn in imperial, structural steel catalogued in both. Modern CAD software handles both unit systems, but understanding the underlying conversion (× 0.3048 for ft to m) prevents errors when importing or exporting drawings.
Physical fitness and athletics create a steady demand for foot-to-meter conversion. Running tracks internationally are in meters; US swimming pools are often in yards. Converting training distances and race distances between systems helps athletes compare workouts and results across international standards. A mile is 5,280 feet or approximately 1,609 meters; a 400-meter track lap is approximately 1,312 feet.
Frequently asked questions
How many meters is 6 feet?
6 feet × 0.3048 = 1.8288 meters, commonly rounded to 1.83 m. This is a commonly cited average male height in international contexts.
How many feet is 1 meter?
1 meter = 3.28084 feet. A meter is slightly longer than a yard (3 feet), and roughly as tall as a standard interior door width in the US.
How do I convert feet and inches to meters?
First convert everything to decimal feet: total feet = whole feet + (inches ÷ 12). Then multiply by 0.3048. Example: 5 feet 9 inches = 5 + (9÷12) = 5.75 feet × 0.3048 = 1.7526 meters.
Why does aviation use feet for altitude even in metric countries?
Aviation internationally standardized on feet for altitude in the 1940s–1950s through ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), largely because the US and UK — who dominated early commercial aviation — used imperial units. The convention stuck globally for safety and communication consistency. Even in countries that use metric exclusively on the ground, all aircraft altimeters and ATC communications use feet.
How many feet is 100 meters (a standard track straight)?
100 meters × (1 ÷ 0.3048) = 328.084 feet. The 100-meter Olympic sprint covers approximately 328 feet.