meters to feet converter

How to convert meters to feet

Divide metres by 0.3048, or multiply by about 3.280839895. One metre is 3.281 feet. The exact relationship is the definition of the foot, so the long decimal is just 1/0.3048 and it does not get 'more exact' by adding digits beyond what double precision holds. Ten metres is 32.808 feet. A 1.8 m doorway is 5.906 feet, which is why a six-foot person fits and a tape marked only in whole feet looks tight.

Reading a metric elevation or a pool length against a feet-based habit, and converting a room before you buy flooring that is sold by the foot. Two metres of height is 6.562 feet. Track lengths that are metric (a 400 m lap) are 1312.336 feet, not a round 1300.

Exact formula

Formulafeet = meters ÷ 0.3048

feet = meters ÷ 0.3048 One m is 3.28083989501 ft. Ten m is 32.8083989501 ft. The worked example below uses that same conversion.

Conversion table

The meters column runs from 1 m (3.281 ft) through 1609.34 m (5280 ft).

Worked example: Meters to Feet

A 1.8 m doorway is 5.906 ft. Divide by 0.3048. The reciprocal people memorise, 3.28, is a short form of that division. One hundred metres, a sprint, is 328.08 ft. A 400 m track is 1312.34 ft, not a round 1300. Two metres of height is the same foot. Vertical and horizontal metres do not get different factors. If you need inches as well, multiply the fractional foot by 12 after this conversion, and round the inches last.

Pitfalls for meters to feet

• 3.28 is a short form of 3.280839895. Over a kilometre the missing fraction is more than a foot.
• Do not use the survey-foot reciprocal on a modern plan. Use 0.3048.
• Vertical metres and horizontal metres convert the same way. Slope is a separate calculation.
• Inches are left over if you want feet-and-inches. Multiply the fractional foot by 12.