Meters to Feet
Convert meters to feet and inches for US construction and real estate. Enter any meter value — get feet (decimal and feet-and-inches) for American contexts.
Enter your values above to see the results.
Tips & Notes
- ✓Quick approximation: meters × 3.28 gives feet within 0.012% of the exact answer. For rough mental math: multiply by 3 and add 10% (3.3 total). A 5 m room ≈ 5 × 3.3 = 16.5 feet (exact: 16.40 ft).
- ✓To express in feet and inches: take the decimal feet result, use the whole number as feet, multiply the decimal part by 12 to get inches. Example: 2.5 m = 8.202 ft → 8 feet + 0.202 × 12 = 8 feet 2.4 inches.
- ✓Room dimensions for US listings: 4 m × 5 m room → 4 × 3.281 = 13.12 ft × 5 × 3.281 = 16.40 ft. US real estate agents typically round to the nearest foot or half-foot: approx 13 ft × 16 ft.
- ✓Athletic records: 100 m world record ≈ 328.08 ft. High jump world record 2.45 m = 8.04 ft = 8 ft 0.5 in. Long jump world record 8.95 m = 29.36 ft. Pole vault world record 6.21 m = 20.37 ft.
- ✓Road and maritime distances: 1 km = 1,000 m = 3,280.84 ft. Traffic signs in the US show distances in miles; in most countries in km. If a speed bump is marked 10 m ahead, that is 32.8 ft or about 11 yards.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Using 3.28 instead of 3.28084 — for most purposes 3.28 ft/m is adequate. But for precision: 10 m × 3.28 = 32.8 ft vs. exact 32.808 ft — only 0.8 cm off per 10 meters, but it accumulates over long distances.
- ✗Confusing the decimal feet result with feet-and-inches — 1.75 m = 5.741 feet. This does NOT mean 5 feet 741 thousandths. It means 5 feet plus 0.741 × 12 = 8.89 inches → 5 feet 8.9 inches, not 5 feet 741.
- ✗Converting m² (square meters) using the linear factor — m² to sq ft requires multiplying by 3.28084² = 10.764, not 3.28084. A 20 m² apartment is 20 × 10.764 = 215.3 sq ft, not 20 × 3.281 = 65.6 ft.
- ✗Applying meters-to-feet to speed — 1 m/s = 3.28084 ft/s. But 1 m/s ≠ 3.28084 mph. Converting m/s to mph requires multiplying by 2.237. Always check which derived unit you are working with.
- ✗Rounding before converting — rounding 2.44 m to 2.4 m before converting gives 7.87 ft instead of 8.005 ft — a 1.7-inch error. Always convert with full precision, then round the final feet-and-inches result.
Meters to Feet Overview
Meters are the global standard for distance in science, engineering, and international commerce. Converting to feet serves US audiences, US construction and building codes, and the many global contexts — aviation, sporting records, property listings — where feet-and-inches communication is expected.
Meters to feet formula:
feet = meters × 3.28084 | feet = meters / 0.3048 | 1 meter = 3 feet 3.37 inches
EX: Olympic swimming pool 50 m → 50 × 3.28084 = 164.04 ft. Building ceiling 2.7 m → 2.7 × 3.28084 = 8.858 ft → 8 feet 10.3 inchesMeters to feet-and-inches conversion:
Whole feet = ⌊meters × 3.28084⌋ | Remaining inches = (meters × 3.28084 mod 1) × 12
EX: 1.83 m → total feet = 6.003 → whole feet = 6 → inches = 0.003 × 12 = 0.036 in → result: 6 feet 0.04 inches (essentially exactly 6 feet). Verify: 6 × 0.3048 = 1.8288 m ≈ 1.83 m ✓Common meter measurements in feet and inches:
| Meters (m) | Decimal Feet | Feet and Inches | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 m | 3.281 ft | 3 ft 3.4 in | Reference unit |
| 1.5 m | 4.921 ft | 4 ft 11.1 in | Doorbell/handle height |
| 1.8 m | 5.906 ft | 5 ft 10.9 in | Tall adult height |
| 2.0 m | 6.562 ft | 6 ft 6.7 in | Standard door height |
| 2.4 m | 7.874 ft | 7 ft 10.5 in | Garage door height |
| 3.0 m | 9.843 ft | 9 ft 10.1 in | High ceiling |
| 5.0 m | 16.404 ft | 16 ft 4.8 in | Large room width |
| 10.0 m | 32.808 ft | 32 ft 9.7 in | Competition pool width |
| Location / Object | Meters | Feet |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic pool length | 50 m | 164.04 ft |
| Soccer/football field length | 100-110 m | 328-361 ft |
| US football field (end zones) | 109.73 m | 360 ft |
| Standard city block (NYC) | ~80 m | ~262 ft |
| Statue of Liberty (base to torch) | 93 m | 305 ft |
| Eiffel Tower | 330 m | 1,083 ft |
| Burj Khalifa | 828 m | 2,717 ft |
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply meters by 3.28084. Examples: 1 m = 3.281 ft; 2 m = 6.562 ft; 3 m = 9.843 ft; 5 m = 16.404 ft; 10 m = 32.808 ft; 100 m = 328.084 ft. To also get inches: take the decimal part of the feet result and multiply by 12. Example: 1.8 m = 1.8 × 3.28084 = 5.905 ft → 5 feet + 0.905 × 12 = 5 feet 10.9 inches.
Step 1: total feet = meters × 3.28084. Step 2: whole feet = floor of total feet. Step 3: inches = (total feet − whole feet) × 12. Example: 1.75 m → total feet = 1.75 × 3.28084 = 5.7415 ft → whole feet = 5 → inches = (5.7415 − 5) × 12 = 0.7415 × 12 = 8.898 inches → result: 5 feet 8.9 inches. Common heights: 1.60 m = 5 ft 3.0 in; 1.70 m = 5 ft 7.0 in; 1.80 m = 5 ft 10.9 in; 1.90 m = 6 ft 2.8 in.
Standard track events: 100 m = 328.1 ft; 200 m = 656.2 ft; 400 m = 1,312.3 ft; 800 m = 2,624.7 ft; 1,500 m = 4,921.3 ft; 1 mile (1,609.3 m) = 5,280 ft (exact). Field events: shot put world record 23.37 m = 76.67 ft; discus world record 74.08 m = 243.0 ft; javelin world record 98.48 m = 323.1 ft; long jump world record 8.95 m = 29.4 ft; high jump world record 2.45 m = 8 ft 0.5 in; pole vault world record 6.21 m = 20.37 ft.
Approximate building heights: one floor ≈ 3.0-3.5 m (9.8-11.5 ft) in residential buildings; office buildings typically 3.6-4.5 m (11.8-14.8 ft) per floor. Famous heights: Eiffel Tower 330 m = 1,082.7 ft; Empire State Building 443 m (to roof) = 1,453.4 ft; Burj Khalifa 828 m = 2,716.5 ft; Taipei 101 508 m = 1,666.7 ft. General rule: 1 meter ≈ one-third of a foot (actually 3.28 ft). A 100-story building at 3.5 m/floor = 350 m = 1,148.3 ft.
The meter was defined during the French Revolution (1799) as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the Paris meridian. The foot has existed as a measurement since ancient times — the Roman foot (pes) was approximately 29.6 cm, shorter than the modern foot (30.48 cm). The international standardization of the foot as exactly 0.3048 m occurred in 1959 through agreement between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The modern meter is now defined via the speed of light: 1 meter is the distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
Water depth conventions: recreational SCUBA diving uses feet in the US (maximum recreational depth: 130 ft = 39.6 m) and meters internationally (40 m). Tide tables in the US report in feet; internationally in meters. Ocean depth: average ocean depth 3,688 m = 12,100 ft; Mariana Trench 10,994 m = 36,069 ft. Freshwater fishing depths: US anglers report in feet (30 ft deep lake), international anglers in meters (9 m). Swimmers: pool depths 1.2-2.0 m = 3.9-6.6 ft. Competitive diving platforms: 10 m = 32.8 ft (Olympic); 7.5 m = 24.6 ft; 5 m = 16.4 ft.