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Convert meters to feet instantly with our accurate m to ft calculator. Uses the exact conversion factor of 3.28084 for height, construction, aviation, and international measurements.
| Meters (m) | Feet (ft) | Feet & Inches | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 m | 1.64 ft | 1' 7.7" | Short measurement or clearance |
| 1 m | 3.28 ft | 3' 3.4" | One meter exactly |
| 1.5 m | 4.92 ft | 4' 11" | Average child height |
| 1.7 m | 5.58 ft | 5' 7" | Average adult height (global) |
| 1.8 m | 5.91 ft | 5' 10.9" | Tall person height |
| 2 m | 6.56 ft | 6' 6.7" | Two meters or doorway height |
| 3 m | 9.84 ft | 9' 10" | Standard ceiling height |
| 5 m | 16.4 ft | 16' 5" | Room length |
| 10 m | 32.81 ft | 32' 9.7" | Small building height |
| 50 m | 164.04 ft | 164' 0.5" | Large building or ship length |
| 100 m | 328.08 ft | 328' 1" | Sprint track distance |
| 1000 m | 3280.84 ft | 3280' 10" | One kilometer |
The meter (symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian, the meter is now defined with extraordinary precision: the distance light travels in a vacuum in exactly 1/299,792,458 of a second. Nearly every country in the world uses the meter as its standard unit of length for science, engineering, construction, and everyday life.
The foot (symbol: ft) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary measurement systems. Historically based on the length of a human foot, the modern foot has been internationally standardized since 1959 at exactly 0.3048 meters. The foot remains widely used in the United States, and partially in the United Kingdom and Canada, particularly for construction, real estate, personal height, and aviation altitude. One foot equals 12 inches, and 3 feet make 1 yard.
Converting meters to feet is a daily necessity in international construction, aviation (where altitude is measured in feet worldwide), sports (Olympic track events use meters while American sports use feet), real estate (comparing property sizes across countries), and scientific communication. The conversion factor—1 meter equals 3.28084 feet—bridges the gap between the metric system used by most of the world and the imperial system still prevalent in the United States.
feet = meters × 3.28084
Since 1 foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters, dividing 1 by 0.3048 gives the reciprocal factor of 3.280839895. For most practical applications, 3.28084 provides more than sufficient accuracy. Simply multiply any value in meters by 3.28084 to get feet.
Question: Convert 1.75 meters to feet and inches.
This is roughly the average height for adult males in many countries worldwide.
Question: A room measures 4.5 meters long. What is this in feet?
A typical medium-sized room in metric countries, equivalent to about 14 feet 9 inches in imperial measurements.
Question: How long is an Olympic swimming pool (50 meters) in feet?
An Olympic pool is about 164 feet long, roughly half the length of an American football field.
For quick estimates, multiply meters by 3 and add 10%. For example: 5 m × 3 = 15, plus 10% (1.5) = 16.5 ft (actual: 16.404 ft). This gives roughly 0.6% error, close enough for casual estimates. Even simpler: multiply by 3.3. Key benchmarks to memorize: 1 m ≈ 3.3 ft, 2 m ≈ 6.6 ft, 3 m ≈ 10 ft, 10 m ≈ 33 ft, 30 m ≈ 100 ft.
| Meters (m) | Decimal Feet | Feet & Inches | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 m | 4.921 ft | 4' 11" | Short adult / child |
| 1.55 m | 5.085 ft | 5' 1" | Petite adult |
| 1.6 m | 5.249 ft | 5' 3" | Average female (many countries) |
| 1.65 m | 5.413 ft | 5' 5" | Average US female height |
| 1.7 m | 5.577 ft | 5' 7" | Global average male height |
| 1.75 m | 5.741 ft | 5' 9" | Average US male height |
| 1.8 m | 5.906 ft | 5' 11" | Tall person |
| 1.85 m | 6.07 ft | 6' 1" | Very tall person |
| 1.9 m | 6.234 ft | 6' 3" | Basketball player range |
| 1.95 m | 6.398 ft | 6' 5" | Professional athlete range |
| 2 m | 6.562 ft | 6' 7" | Extremely tall |
| Structure / Field | Meters | Feet |
|---|---|---|
| Standard doorway height | 2.03 m | 6.66 ft |
| Standard ceiling height | 2.44 m | 8 ft |
| Basketball hoop height | 3.05 m | 10 ft |
| Tennis net height (center) | 0.914 m | 3 ft |
| Olympic pool length | 50 m | 164.04 ft |
| Soccer field length | 105 m | 344.49 ft |
| 100m sprint track | 100 m | 328.08 ft |
| Statue of Liberty (base to torch) | 93 m | 305.12 ft |
International building plans are drawn in meters, but US construction codes specify dimensions in feet. Accurate conversion is essential for material ordering, compliance with building codes, and ensuring structural integrity when collaborating across countries.
While runway lengths are often specified in meters internationally, altitude is universally reported in feet. Pilots, engineers, and air traffic controllers convert between meters and feet constantly for safe and standardized operations worldwide.
Olympic and international athletic events measure distances in meters, while American sports use feet and yards. Understanding meters-to-feet conversion lets fans and athletes compare performances, field dimensions, and records across different sporting traditions.
Property listings in most countries use square meters, while US real estate describes area in square feet. Travelers and international buyers need reliable meter-to-feet conversion to compare apartment sizes, room dimensions, and lot areas across markets.
The exact conversion factor is 3.280839895. Using 3.28084 gives professional-grade accuracy for construction, engineering, and scientific applications. Rounding to 3.28 introduces a small but compounding error in large measurements.
Decimal feet are not the same as feet and inches. 5.5 feet means 5 feet 6 inches (0.5 × 12 = 6), not 5 feet 5 inches. Always multiply the decimal portion by 12 to get inches.
A common mistake is entering centimeters where meters are expected. If a height is listed as “175 cm,” first divide by 100 to get 1.75 m before converting to feet. Forgetting this step produces wildly incorrect results (175 × 3.28 = 574 ft!).
To convert square meters to square feet, multiply by 10.764 (which is 3.28084²), not 3.28084. Using the linear factor for area calculations produces results that are off by an entire order of magnitude.
Meters to feet means multiplying by 3.28084 (the result should be a larger number). Feet to meters means multiplying by 0.3048 (the result should be smaller). A quick sanity check: 1 meter is about 3.3 feet, so feet values should always be roughly 3× the meter value.
Multiply the meter value by 3.28084. Example: 5 meters × 3.28084 = 16.404 feet. This factor comes from the international definition where 1 meter equals exactly 3.28084 feet. The conversion is essential for US construction measurements, height specifications, sports fields, and interfacing metric with imperial systems. Use our calculator for instant results with both decimal feet and feet-inches format.
The exact factor is 1 meter = 3.280839895 feet, based on 1 foot = 0.3048 meters. Most applications use 3.28 for sufficient accuracy. Engineering uses 3.281 or 3.2808 for better precision. Scientific work may need full precision. This derives from the 1959 international agreement defining the foot in meters, ensuring consistent global measurements and eliminating ambiguity.
Multiply meters by 3.28084 to get decimal feet. Separate the whole number (feet) from decimal. Multiply decimal by 12 for inches. Example: 1.8m → 1.8 × 3.28084 = 5.9055 ft → 5 feet plus 0.9055 × 12 = 10.866 inches → 5'10.9" (round to 5'11"). Our calculator does this automatically for height measurements and construction specifications.
The US inherited the imperial system from Britain and never fully adopted metric despite the 1975 Metric Conversion Act making it "preferred but voluntary." Cultural inertia, enormous infrastructure costs (road signs, building codes), deep-rooted familiarity, and lack of mandate prevented conversion. Construction and real estate remain imperial. Science, medicine, military, and international trade use metric, creating a dual system.
Multiply meters by 3 and add 10%. Example: 5m → 5 × 3 = 15, plus 10% (1.5) = 16.5 ft (actual: 16.404). Even simpler: multiply by 3.3 (~0.6% error). Benchmarks: 1m ≈ 3.3 ft, 2m ≈ 6.6 ft, 10m ≈ 33 ft. These shortcuts verify calculations but use exact conversion (3.28084) for important measurements or engineering work.
1.8 meters equals 5 feet 10.9 inches (5'11" rounded). Calculation: 1.8 × 3.28084 = 5.9055 feet, 0.9055 × 12 = 10.866 inches. Quick reference: 1.7m ≈ 5'7", 1.75m ≈ 5'9", 1.8m ≈ 5'11", 1.85m ≈ 6'1", 1.9m ≈ 6'3". Medical records and international documents list height in centimeters, requiring feet-inches conversion for US applications.
100 meters equals 328.084 feet (328'1"). Critical for athletics—100m sprint tracks, Olympic pools (50m = 164 ft), soccer fields. Round to 328 feet for general use, 328.08 for engineering, 328.084 for science. This equals approximately 1.09 American football fields (excluding end zones) or 0.062 miles. Understanding helps compare international sports dimensions with US field sizes.
Yes, 2 meters (6.562 feet or 6'6.74") significantly exceeds 6 feet (1.829 meters). The difference is 0.562 feet or 6.74 inches. Standard US doors are 6'8" (2.03m). When international specs show 2-meter clearance versus US 6-foot clearance, 2 meters provides significantly more headroom. This matters for doorways, ceiling clearances, and building specifications.
Multiply by 10.764 (3.28084 squared). This differs from linear conversion—you must square the factor. Example: 10 m² × 10.764 = 107.64 ft². Common mistake: using 3.28084 produces wrong area results. Quick estimate: multiply by 11. Applications include real estate, flooring, land area. Remember: 1 m² = 10.764 ft², 100 m² ≈ 1,076 ft².
Construction/architecture interfacing international plans with US codes, international real estate, manufacturing importing metric equipment, athletics (track dimensions), aviation (runway lengths), maritime shipping, international engineering, scientific research publishing for US audiences, telecommunications, and import-export businesses. Even US companies encounter metric specifications from global suppliers, ISO standards, or international partners, making conversion essential for technical professionals.
Depends on application. General construction can round to 3.28 (~0.01% error). Engineering uses 3.281 or 3.2808. Scientific work may need full precision (3.280839895). Building codes require high precision for compliance. Athletic tracks need exact dimensions for competition standards. When uncertain, use higher precision—round later. Our calculator provides professional-level precision suitable for all applications.
International buildings market globally—Dubai skyscrapers advertise "828 meters (2,717 feet)" for worldwide recognition. Building codes vary by jurisdiction. Architects working internationally maintain dual-dimensioned drawings. This helps cross-border real estate, international construction, and global competitions. Marketing materials list both to accommodate audiences familiar with different systems. Engineering firms present specifications in client-preferred units.
Metric countries convert US imperial specs to meters for manufacturing, construction, and compliance. European factories maintain conversion charts and dual-dimensioned drawings. International building codes reference both systems. CAD software handles automatic conversion, but engineers verify critical dimensions manually. Import specifications undergo formal conversion, sometimes requiring certified translations for legal compliance. This creates global conversion infrastructure ensuring accuracy in international commerce.
Using 3.0 instead of 3.28084 (creates ~9% error), confusing linear and area conversions (using 3.28 for square meters instead of 10.764), mixing meters with centimeters, rounding too early, confusing decimal feet with feet-inches (5.5 feet is 5'6", not 5'5"), using US survey feet for modern applications. Avoid errors by writing conversion factor clearly, using calculator, double-checking direction, and maintaining precision through calculations.
Best practice: work in the unit system of your primary specifications. If drawings specify meters, work entirely in metric. If US codes govern, work in feet. Converting introduces errors, especially through multiple steps. Modern CAD and calculators handle both systems, but consistency reduces mistakes. Only convert when interfacing between systems. For critical dimensions, double-check independently. When possible, obtain specifications in preferred working units.
This calculator uses the internationally defined conversion factor of 1 meter = 3.280839895 feet (derived from 1 foot = 0.3048 meters exactly). Results are for informational purposes and should be verified for critical engineering, construction, or scientific applications. For surveying and geodetic work, consult a licensed surveyor as the deprecated US survey foot may still apply in some legacy contexts.