One meter is 3.2808 feet. NIST defines the foot as exactly 0.3048 m, so meters ÷ 0.3048 (or meters × 3.28084) gives feet. For example, 2 m is 6.56 ft and 10 m is 32.81 ft. In feet and inches, one meter is 3 ft 3.37 in, because a meter is 39.37 inches.
How many feet are in a meter?
The international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters (NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8), and the inch as exactly 0.0254 m. Dividing, 1 ÷ 0.3048 = 3.280840 feet, and 1 ÷ 0.0254 = 39.3701 inches. A meter is therefore a little over 3 feet 3 inches.
Formulas
feet = meters ÷ 0.3048 (or meters × 3.28084)
meters = feet × 0.3048
inches = meters × 39.3701
yards = meters × 1.09361
Converters: meters to feet, feet to meters, meters to inches, meters to yards and feet to cm.
Meters to feet chart
| Meters | Feet | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 m | 3.28 | 1.09 |
| 2 m | 6.56 | 2.19 |
| 3 m | 9.84 | 3.28 |
| 5 m | 16.40 | 5.47 |
| 10 m | 32.81 | 10.94 |
| 50 m | 164.04 | 54.68 |
| 100 m | 328.08 | 109.36 |
| 400 m | 1,312.34 | 437.45 |
| 1,000 m (1 km) | 3,280.84 | 1,093.61 |
Feet to meters chart
| Feet | Meters |
|---|---|
| 1 ft | 0.3048 |
| 5 ft | 1.524 |
| 6 ft | 1.8288 |
| 10 ft | 3.048 |
| 20 ft | 6.096 |
| 100 ft | 30.48 |
Heights in meters to feet and inches
| Height | Feet | Feet and inches |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 m | 4.92 | 4 ft 11.1 in |
| 1.6 m | 5.25 | 5 ft 3.0 in |
| 1.7 m | 5.58 | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 1.75 m | 5.74 | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 1.8 m | 5.91 | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 1.9 m | 6.23 | 6 ft 2.8 in |
| 2.0 m | 6.56 | 6 ft 6.7 in |
Worked examples
Example 1: a room size
A room is 4 m by 5 m. In feet that is 4 ÷ 0.3048 = 13.12 ft by 5 ÷ 0.3048 = 16.40 ft, a floor area of 215.3 square feet (20 m² × 10.7639).
Example 2: a height
A person who is 1.75 m tall is 1.75 ÷ 0.3048 = 5.741 ft. The decimal part, 0.741 × 12 = 8.9 inches, so the height is 5 ft 8.9 in. Writing it as "5.74 ft" and reading it as 5 ft 74 in is a common mistake.
Example 3: a track
A 400 m track is 400 ÷ 0.3048 = 1,312.3 ft, or 437.4 yards. One lap is therefore about 0.249 miles (1,312.34 ÷ 5,280); four laps cover 1,600 m, a bit short of the 1,609.344 m in a mile, described in how many feet in a mile.
Example 4: ceiling height
A 2.4 m ceiling is 2.4 ÷ 0.3048 = 7.87 ft, or 7 ft 10.5 in. A US standard 8-foot ceiling is 8 × 0.3048 = 2.438 m, 3.8 cm taller.
Example 5: a cable length
A 10 ft cable is 3.048 m. A 3 m cable is 9.84 ft, 0.16 ft (1.9 in) shorter than the 10 ft one, which matters when the plug has to reach a wall socket.
Is a meter longer than a yard?
Yes. A yard is exactly 0.9144 m (NIST), so 1 ÷ 0.9144 = 1.0936 yards per meter, which makes the meter about 9.4% longer. The two are close enough that 100 m (109.4 yd) and a 100-yard dash (91.44 m) differ by 8.56 m.
Quick ways to remember
- 1 m is about 3.3 ft (3.28), and 1 ft is about 30 cm.
- For rough work, multiply by 3 and add 10%: 5 m ≈ 15 + 1.5 = 16.5 ft, against the exact 16.40.
- For heights, convert the fraction of a foot to inches separately (× 12).
- Check the system: the metric vs imperial guide lists the common conversions, and how to read a tape measure explains both scales.