Length Converter
Quick answer: Choose a starting unit and a target unit, then enter a value. Common conversions: 1 m = 3.28084 ft; 1 m = 0.001 km; 1 m = 100 cm. This converter covers 15 length units.
- Calculator
- Formula
- Examples
- Step by step
- Popular conversions
- Reading your result
- Mistakes
- FAQ
- Related tools
- Method
Use the Length Converter
Length formula and what each symbol means
target = value × (factor of starting unit ÷ factor of target unit), where each factor is the unit value in m.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| value | The number you want to convert |
| factor | The unit’s size expressed in the base unit (m) |
Length examples
m to ft
10 m = 32.8084 ft.
m to km
10 m = 0.01 km.
m to cm
10 m = 1,000 cm.
How to calculate Length step by step
- Choose the starting unit and the target unit.
- Enter your value.
- Read the converted value, plus the conversion factor in both directions.
Popular length conversions
- Meters to KM converter
- Meters to CM converter
- Meters to MM converter
- Meters to Miles converter
- Meters to Feet converter
- Meters to Inches converter
- Meters to Yards converter
- KM to Meters converter
- KM to CM converter
- KM to MM converter
- KM to Miles converter
- KM to Feet converter
- KM to Inches converter
- KM to Yards converter
- CM to Meters converter
- CM to KM converter
How to read your Length result
Metric lengths convert by powers of ten, so you only move the decimal point. Between metric and imperial, the key fact is that 1 inch is exactly 2.54 cm, which makes 1 foot exactly 0.3048 m, 1 yard exactly 0.9144 m and 1 mile exactly 1,609.344 m.
| UNIT | SYMBOL | EQUALS | VALUE OF 1 M |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meter | m | 1 m = 1 m | 1 m |
| Kilometer | km | 1 km = 1,000 m | 0.001 km |
| Centimeter | cm | 1 cm = 0.01 m | 100 cm |
| Millimeter | mm | 1 mm = 0.001 m | 1,000 mm |
| Micrometer | µm | 1 µm = 0.000001 m | 1,000,000 µm |
| Nanometer | nm | 1 nm = 1×10⁻⁹ m | 1,000,000,000 nm |
| Mile | mi | 1 mi = 1,609.344 m | 0.0006213712 mi |
| Yard | yd | 1 yd = 0.9144 m | 1.093613 yd |
| Foot | ft | 1 ft = 0.3048 m | 3.28084 ft |
| Inch | in | 1 in = 0.0254 m | 39.37008 in |
| Nautical mile | nmi | 1 nmi = 1,852 m | 0.0005399568 nmi |
| Angstrom | Å | 1 Å = 1×10⁻¹⁰ m | 10,000,000,000 Å |
| Light year | ly | 1 ly = 9.4607305×10¹⁵ m | 1.057001×10⁻¹⁶ ly |
| Astronomical unit | au | 1 au = 149,597,870,000 m | 6.684587×10⁻¹² au |
| Parsec | pc | 1 pc = 3.0856776×10¹⁶ m | 3.240779×10⁻¹⁷ pc |
Common mistakes when calculating Length
- Mixing the international foot with the older US survey foot: the difference is about 2 parts per million and only matters in large land surveys.
- Confusing statute miles (1,609.344 m) with nautical miles (exactly 1,852 m).
- Rounding the factor too early, for example using 2.5 instead of 2.54 for inches.
Length FAQ
Is the inch exactly 2.54 cm?
Yes. The international yard and pound agreement of 1959 defined the inch as exactly 2.54 centimetres.
How is the metre defined?
Since 1983 the metre is the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
What is the difference between a mile and a nautical mile?
A statute mile is exactly 1,609.344 metres. A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 metres, close to one minute of latitude.
What is the base unit for length?
This converter uses meter (m) as the common base unit: every value is first converted to it and then to the target unit.
How do I convert between two length units?
Choose the starting and target units, enter the value and read the result. By hand: convert to the base unit with the table, then divide by the target unit factor.
How many feet are in 1 meter?
1 m = 3.28084 ft.
How many KM are in 1 meter?
1 m = 0.001 km.
How many CM are in 1 meter?
1 m = 100 cm.
Which length units does this converter support?
It covers 15 units: meter (m), kilometer (km), centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm), micrometer (µm), nanometer (nm), mile (mi), yard (yd), foot (ft), inch (in), nautical mile (nmi), angstrom (Å), light year (ly), astronomical unit (au), parsec (pc).
How accurate is the length converter?
Results are calculated at full double precision and shown to about 8 significant figures. Round the answer to the precision of your original measurement; a result cannot be more accurate than the number you started with.
More in Length converters
- KM to Yards Converter
- KM to MM Converter
- Meters to Inches Converter
- KM to Miles Converter
- KM to Meters Converter
- Meters to Miles Converter
See all length converters tools · All Conversion calculators · Site map
Method, review and disclaimer
Edited by: Hemant Kumar and Anjita Rai, founders of ToolsVault (SEO and content professional, not a licensed adviser). Method: this tool runs in your browser using the formula shown on this page; the numbers you enter are not sent to our servers. Sources: NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: conversion factors, BIPM: the SI base units