Metres to Feet Calculator
Convert metres to feet and inches instantly — or feet back to metres. Use the tabs below for bidirectional conversion. 1 metre = 3.28084 feet = 3 ft 3.37 in.
Metres to Feet Conversion Table
| Metres | Feet (decimal) | Feet & Inches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 m | 3.28 ft | 3 ft 3.4 in |
| 1.5 m | 4.92 ft | 4 ft 11.1 in |
| 1.6 m | 5.25 ft | 5 ft 2.9 in |
| 1.7 m | 5.58 ft | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 1.75 m | 5.74 ft | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 1.8 m | 5.91 ft | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 1.83 m | 6.00 ft | 6 ft 0.0 in |
| 1.9 m | 6.23 ft | 6 ft 2.8 in |
| 2 m | 6.56 ft | 6 ft 6.7 in |
| 2.5 m | 8.20 ft | 8 ft 2.4 in |
| 3 m | 9.84 ft | 9 ft 10.1 in |
| 5 m | 16.40 ft | 16 ft 4.8 in |
| 10 m | 32.81 ft | 32 ft 9.7 in |
| 20 m | 65.62 ft | 65 ft 7.4 in |
| 50 m | 164.04 ft | 164 ft 0.5 in |
| 100 m | 328.08 ft | 328 ft 1.0 in |
Metres and Feet in the UK: A Mixed Measurement Nation
The United Kingdom occupies a unique and often confusing position in the world of measurement. Unlike almost every other country on earth, Britain uses a hybrid system — officially metric for most purposes, yet stubbornly imperial in everyday speech and culture. Understanding why the UK uses both metres and feet requires a look at centuries of history, legislation, and cultural identity.
The Weights and Measures Act 1985
The Weights and Measures Act 1985 is the cornerstone of UK measurement law. It mandated that metric units become the primary system for trade and commerce. Under this legislation, it became illegal to sell loose goods (such as fruit, vegetables, and meat) using only imperial measures. By January 2000, all pre-packaged goods sold in the UK had to display metric measurements as the primary unit.
However, the Act also preserved certain imperial uses. Road distances in the UK are still measured in miles, speed limits in miles per hour (mph), and draught beer is still sold in pints. These exemptions reflect cultural and political compromises rather than logical consistency.
The practical result is that a typical British person might describe their height as 5 feet 10 inches, measure their garden in metres, drive 40 miles to work, and buy 500 grams of cheese at the supermarket — all without perceiving any contradiction.
Height: NHS Uses Both Systems
One of the most common reasons people convert metres to feet is for height measurement. The National Health Service (NHS) officially records height in both centimetres/metres and feet/inches on patient records. A doctor might note that a patient is 175 cm (1.75 m) tall, but the patient themselves would say they are "5 foot 9".
BMI calculators on the NHS website accept input in both metric and imperial. Growth charts for children are presented in both systems. This duality reflects the reality that while healthcare professionals work in metric, patients think in imperial — particularly adults over the age of 40 who grew up with imperial measurements.
Common UK height conversions:
- 5 ft 0 in = 1.524 m (152.4 cm)
- 5 ft 6 in = 1.676 m (167.6 cm)
- 5 ft 10 in = 1.778 m (177.8 cm)
- 6 ft 0 in = 1.829 m (182.9 cm)
- 6 ft 2 in = 1.880 m (188.0 cm)
Building Regulations and Architecture
UK building regulations use metres exclusively. Planning applications, architectural drawings, and construction specifications are all in metric. The standard ceiling height for a modern UK house is 2.4 metres (which equals 7 feet 10.5 inches). Older Victorian and Edwardian properties often have ceilings of 2.7 metres (8 ft 10.4 in) or even 3 metres (9 ft 10.1 in).
When estate agents list properties, room dimensions are typically given in metres for new builds but sometimes still in feet for older stock, depending on the region and target market. A "generous double bedroom" might be described as 4.5 m × 3.8 m or as 14 ft 9 in × 12 ft 6 in depending on the context.
Bridge Height Restrictions: Still in Feet
One area where imperial measurement persists strongly in official UK infrastructure is bridge height restrictions. Vehicle height warning signs on UK roads display heights in feet and inches — for example, a low bridge might be signed as "9 ft 6 in" rather than "2.9 m". This is a formal exemption within the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions.
The reason cited is safety — lorry drivers in the UK typically know their vehicle height in feet, and the Roads Minister has historically resisted metrication of height signs due to the risk of confusion during any transition period. This means UK road infrastructure uniquely mixes metric speed limits (displayed as mph, which is imperial) with imperial bridge heights.
Sports: A Metric-Imperial Battleground
British sport provides fascinating examples of the metric-imperial divide. Olympic swimming pools are 50 metres long, and swimming events are measured in metres. Yet athletics tracks, while measured in metres for most events, coexist with the mile as a cherished distance. The 4-minute mile is a landmark achievement; nobody talks about the 3-minute 59-second 1609-metre run.
Football pitches must be between 90 and 120 metres long under FIFA rules — yet many older fans still describe them in yards. Horse racing distances use furlongs. Cricket uses yards for run-ups and pitches. The London Marathon is run over 26.2 miles (42.195 km) and the distance is given in both, though runners most naturally think in miles.
Rooms and Interior Design
For interior design and home improvement, metres have largely won out in the UK. Carpet and flooring is sold by the square metre. IKEA furniture dimensions are in centimetres. Paint coverage is specified in square metres per litre. Yet when discussing room sizes, older generations still use feet, and estate agent floor plans sometimes show both.
A useful set of room size conversions for UK homeowners:
- Standard UK single bedroom: ~3.0 m × 2.5 m = 9 ft 10 in × 8 ft 2 in
- Standard double bedroom: ~3.8 m × 3.2 m = 12 ft 6 in × 10 ft 6 in
- Standard bathroom: ~2.5 m × 1.8 m = 8 ft 2 in × 5 ft 11 in
- Standard lounge: ~5.5 m × 4.0 m = 18 ft 0 in × 13 ft 1 in
The Global Picture: Who Still Uses Imperial?
The UK is unusual globally but not unique in using imperial measures. The United States remains the largest country still using the imperial system as its primary measurement system (though with some differences — US customary units differ slightly from UK imperial). Liberia and Myanmar are the only other countries not officially using the metric system as their primary system.
Canada completed metrication in the 1970s and 1980s, but Canadians often still give their height in feet and weight in pounds. Australia fully metricated in 1970 — yet Australian cricket commentators still discuss "six-foot" fast bowlers. The cultural persistence of imperial measures in English-speaking countries is remarkable, even where the official system is metric.
How to Convert Metres to Feet: The Maths
The conversion factor between metres and feet is exact by definition: 1 foot = 0.3048 metres exactly (defined in 1959 by international agreement). Therefore:
- 1 metre = 1 ÷ 0.3048 = 3.28084 feet
- 1 foot = 0.3048 metres
To convert metres to feet and inches:
- Multiply metres by 3.28084 to get total feet (e.g. 1.8 m × 3.28084 = 5.9055 ft)
- The whole number part is feet (5 ft)
- Multiply the decimal part by 12 to get inches (0.9055 × 12 = 10.87 in)
- Result: 5 feet 10.87 inches
Frequently Asked Questions
1 metre is equal to 3.28084 feet, or 3 feet and 3.37 inches. This is the internationally recognised conversion factor. In everyday usage, 1 metre is often rounded to 3.28 feet or described as slightly over 3 feet 3 inches.
1.8 metres is 5 feet 10.87 inches (often rounded to 5 ft 11 in). This is a very common height in the UK. Many people describe themselves as "nearly 6 foot" when they are around 1.80–1.83 m tall.
Multiply the number of metres by 3.28084. For feet and inches, take the whole number part as feet, then multiply the decimal remainder by 12 to get inches. For example: 2 m × 3.28084 = 6.56 ft = 6 ft 6.7 in.
6 feet is equal to 1.8288 metres (commonly rounded to 1.83 m). Calculated as 6 × 0.3048 = 1.8288 m. This is considered tall in the UK — the average UK male height is around 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in).
2 metres is 6.56 feet, or 6 feet 6.74 inches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government used 2 metres as the social distancing guideline. This was visualised as roughly the height of a very tall person.
The UK began metrication in the 1960s, formalised by the Weights and Measures Act 1985, but preserved imperial measures in several areas (road signs, pints of beer, miles). Cultural habit means height is still given in feet by most British people, while building regulations use metres. Only the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar still use imperial as their primary system.