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Metres to feet

Multiply metres by 3.2808 to get feet.

1 m = 3.2808 ftBIPM SI · NIST HB 44
m
16.4042ft

5 m = 16.4042 ft

How to convert metres to feet

The foot is exactly 0.3048 metres, by the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement. The metre is the SI base unit of length, defined since 1983 by fixing the speed of light at exactly 299 792 458 m/s.

Worked example — 5 m: 5 × 3.2808 = 16.4042 ft. (16 ft 4.9 in)

Metres to feet table

Common conversions. The reverse table is on feet to metres.
MetresFeetFeet and in
1 m3.2808 ft3 ft 3.4 in
1.5 m4.9213 ft4 ft 11.1 in
2 m6.5617 ft6 ft 6.7 in
3 m9.8425 ft9 ft 10.1 in
5 m16.4042 ft16 ft 4.9 in
10 m32.8084 ft32 ft 9.7 in
25 m82.021 ft82 ft 0.3 in
50 m164.042 ft164 ft 0.5 in
100 m328.084 ft328 ft 1 in

Reverse and related

About metres and feet

Metre (m)

1 m = 3.2808 ft

Definition. The SI base unit of length, defined since 1983 by fixing the speed of light at exactly 299 792 458 m/s

History and origin

The metre was defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole, later realised as a platinum bar. Since 1983 it has been defined by fixing the speed of light at exactly 299 792 458 metres per second, tying it to a constant of nature rather than an object.

Current use

The metre is the base unit of length across the metric world, used for everything from building plans to sports fields; the United States is the main country that still measures everyday length in feet and inches.

Source: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019)

Foot (ft)

1 ft = 0.3048 m

Definition. Exactly 0.3048 metres, by the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement

History and origin

The foot is an ancient unit based roughly on a human foot, and its length varied from place to place for centuries. The modern international foot was fixed at exactly 0.3048 metres by the 1959 yard and pound agreement.

Current use

The foot is the everyday unit of length in the United States for height, rooms and construction, and is still widely used in the United Kingdom.

Source: International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959); NIST Handbook 44, App. C

Where people use this

Metres: room and building dimensions, sports fields, fabric and rope. Feet: height in the US, room dimensions, construction. A 100 m sprint is about 328 feet.

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 ft = 0.3048 m, so 1 m = 1 ÷ 0.3048 = 3.2808 ft.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Sources: International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959); NIST Handbook 44, App. C; BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019).

Questions people ask

How many feet is 1 metre?

One metre is about 3.28 feet. To convert metres to feet, multiply by 3.2808.

How tall is 1.8 m in feet?

1.8 m is about 5 ft 11 in (5.91 feet), and 1.7 m is about 5 ft 7 in.

How many feet is 2 metres?

2 metres is about 6.56 feet (2 × 3.2808).

How many feet is 100 metres?

100 metres is about 328 feet, roughly the length of a sprint straight.

How do you convert metres to feet and inches?

Multiply the metres by 3.2808 for feet, then take the decimal part times 12 for inches — 1.8 m is 5.91 ft, so 5 ft and 0.91 × 12 is about 11 in.

All metre conversions