cm to inches calculator

How do you convert cm to inches?

A cm to inches calculator divides centimeters by 2.54, which is the same as multiplying by 0.393701. 100 cm is 39.370 inches, or 3.281 feet. The calculator shows inches, feet, and millimeters from one centimeter entry, so a metric measurement from a spec sheet turns straight into something you can find on a US tape measure.

Metric sizes turn up all the time in US projects. European appliances, flat-pack furniture, imported tile, and many faucet and sink cut-out templates are drawn in centimeters, while the cabinet, framing, and tape measure in your hand are in inches.

The conversion in plain words

• Inches = centimeters × 0.393701 (or centimeters ÷ 2.54)
• Feet = centimeters × 0.0328084 (or inches ÷ 12)
• Millimeters = centimeters × 10

Inches and feet are shown to three decimal places. Millimeters are shown to one.

Worked examples

European dishwasher opening: 60 cm wide

• Inches: 60 × 0.393701 = 23.622 in
• Feet: 60 × 0.0328084 = 1.969 ft
• Millimeters: 600.0 mm
• On a tape: 0.622 × 16 = 9.95, so about 23⅝ in. A standard US 24 in opening leaves roughly ⅜ in to spare.

A meter stick: 100 cm

• Inches: 100 × 0.393701 = 39.370 in
• Feet: 3.281 ft, or 3 ft 3⅜ in
• Millimeters: 1000.0 mm

Centimeters to inches chart

Centimeters	Inches	Feet	Nearest tape fraction
1 cm	0.394 in	0.033 ft	about ⅜ in
2.54 cm	1.000 in	0.083 ft	1 in
5 cm	1.969 in	0.164 ft	about 2 in
10 cm	3.937 in	0.328 ft	about 3 15/16 in
20 cm	7.874 in	0.656 ft	about 7⅞ in
30 cm	11.811 in	0.984 ft	about 11 13/16 in
45 cm	17.717 in	1.476 ft	about 17 11/16 in
60 cm	23.622 in	1.969 ft	about 23⅝ in
90 cm	35.433 in	2.953 ft	about 35 7/16 in
120 cm	47.244 in	3.937 ft	about 47¼ in
150 cm	59.055 in	4.921 ft	about 59 1/16 in
200 cm	78.740 in	6.562 ft	about 78¾ in

Turning decimals into fractions

Tape measures show sixteenths, not decimals. To convert:

1. Keep the whole inches as they are.
2. Multiply the decimal part by 16.
3. Round to the nearest whole number. That is your count of sixteenths.
4. Reduce the fraction if you can (8/16 is ½, 12/16 is ¾).

For 45 cm: 17.717 in. The decimal 0.717 × 16 = 11.47, which rounds to 11/16. So 45 cm is about 17 11/16 in.

How to measure in centimeters

• Read the metric side of a combination tape, or use the dimension printed on the product’s spec sheet.
• Check whether a spec gives the cut-out size or the outside size. They can differ by a centimeter or two.
• Convert every dimension, not just the width. Depth and height often decide whether something fits.
• For anything under 1 cm, switch to the mm to inches calculator for finer detail.

Common mistakes

• Dividing by 2.5. That shortcut is off by about 1.6%, which is almost ¾ in over a 120 cm countertop.
• Mixing up cm and mm. A 600 mm cabinet is 60 cm, not 600 cm. Check the unit on the drawing.
• Rounding too early. Convert the total length once instead of converting parts and adding the rounded pieces.
• Forgetting feet. Long results are easier to mark as feet and inches. The inches to feet calculator splits them out.

Working with floor or wall areas in metric? The square meters to square feet calculator handles area, which does not use the 2.54 factor directly.