Published
To convert centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54. One centimeter is 0.3937 inches, and one inch is exactly 2.54 cm. So 30 cm is 11.81 inches, just under a foot.
Formula: inches = cm ÷ 2.54
Need a quick estimate in your head? Multiply the centimeters by 0.4. The answer comes out about 1.6% too high, which is close enough for most everyday sizes. For example, 50 cm × 0.4 = 20 in, and the exact answer is 19.69 in.
CM to inches conversion chart (1–100 cm)
Here is every whole centimeter from 1 to 100. Inches are rounded to two decimals. The last column gives the nearest 1/16 inch, the smallest mark on most US tape measures.
| Centimeters | Inches | Nearest fraction (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.39 | ⅜ |
| 2 | 0.79 | 13⁄16 |
| 3 | 1.18 | 1 3⁄16 |
| 4 | 1.57 | 1 9⁄16 |
| 5 | 1.97 | 1 15⁄16 |
| 6 | 2.36 | 2 ⅜ |
| 7 | 2.76 | 2 ¾ |
| 8 | 3.15 | 3 ⅛ |
| 9 | 3.54 | 3 9⁄16 |
| 10 | 3.94 | 3 15⁄16 |
| 11 | 4.33 | 4 5⁄16 |
| 12 | 4.72 | 4 ¾ |
| 13 | 5.12 | 5 ⅛ |
| 14 | 5.51 | 5 ½ |
| 15 | 5.91 | 5 ⅞ |
| 16 | 6.30 | 6 5⁄16 |
| 17 | 6.69 | 6 11⁄16 |
| 18 | 7.09 | 7 1⁄16 |
| 19 | 7.48 | 7 ½ |
| 20 | 7.87 | 7 ⅞ |
| 21 | 8.27 | 8 ¼ |
| 22 | 8.66 | 8 11⁄16 |
| 23 | 9.06 | 9 1⁄16 |
| 24 | 9.45 | 9 7⁄16 |
| 25 | 9.84 | 9 13⁄16 |
| 26 | 10.24 | 10 ¼ |
| 27 | 10.63 | 10 ⅝ |
| 28 | 11.02 | 11 |
| 29 | 11.42 | 11 7⁄16 |
| 30 | 11.81 | 11 13⁄16 |
| 31 | 12.20 | 12 3⁄16 |
| 32 | 12.60 | 12 ⅝ |
| 33 | 12.99 | 13 |
| 34 | 13.39 | 13 ⅜ |
| 35 | 13.78 | 13 ¾ |
| 36 | 14.17 | 14 3⁄16 |
| 37 | 14.57 | 14 9⁄16 |
| 38 | 14.96 | 14 15⁄16 |
| 39 | 15.35 | 15 ⅜ |
| 40 | 15.75 | 15 ¾ |
| 41 | 16.14 | 16 ⅛ |
| 42 | 16.54 | 16 9⁄16 |
| 43 | 16.93 | 16 15⁄16 |
| 44 | 17.32 | 17 5⁄16 |
| 45 | 17.72 | 17 11⁄16 |
| 46 | 18.11 | 18 ⅛ |
| 47 | 18.50 | 18 ½ |
| 48 | 18.90 | 18 ⅞ |
| 49 | 19.29 | 19 5⁄16 |
| 50 | 19.69 | 19 11⁄16 |
| 51 | 20.08 | 20 1⁄16 |
| 52 | 20.47 | 20 ½ |
| 53 | 20.87 | 20 ⅞ |
| 54 | 21.26 | 21 ¼ |
| 55 | 21.65 | 21 ⅝ |
| 56 | 22.05 | 22 1⁄16 |
| 57 | 22.44 | 22 7⁄16 |
| 58 | 22.83 | 22 13⁄16 |
| 59 | 23.23 | 23 ¼ |
| 60 | 23.62 | 23 ⅝ |
| 61 | 24.02 | 24 |
| 62 | 24.41 | 24 7⁄16 |
| 63 | 24.80 | 24 13⁄16 |
| 64 | 25.20 | 25 3⁄16 |
| 65 | 25.59 | 25 9⁄16 |
| 66 | 25.98 | 26 |
| 67 | 26.38 | 26 ⅜ |
| 68 | 26.77 | 26 ¾ |
| 69 | 27.17 | 27 3⁄16 |
| 70 | 27.56 | 27 9⁄16 |
| 71 | 27.95 | 27 15⁄16 |
| 72 | 28.35 | 28 ⅜ |
| 73 | 28.74 | 28 ¾ |
| 74 | 29.13 | 29 ⅛ |
| 75 | 29.53 | 29 ½ |
| 76 | 29.92 | 29 15⁄16 |
| 77 | 30.31 | 30 5⁄16 |
| 78 | 30.71 | 30 11⁄16 |
| 79 | 31.10 | 31 ⅛ |
| 80 | 31.50 | 31 ½ |
| 81 | 31.89 | 31 ⅞ |
| 82 | 32.28 | 32 5⁄16 |
| 83 | 32.68 | 32 11⁄16 |
| 84 | 33.07 | 33 1⁄16 |
| 85 | 33.46 | 33 7⁄16 |
| 86 | 33.86 | 33 ⅞ |
| 87 | 34.25 | 34 ¼ |
| 88 | 34.65 | 34 ⅝ |
| 89 | 35.04 | 35 1⁄16 |
| 90 | 35.43 | 35 7⁄16 |
| 91 | 35.83 | 35 13⁄16 |
| 92 | 36.22 | 36 ¼ |
| 93 | 36.61 | 36 ⅝ |
| 94 | 37.01 | 37 |
| 95 | 37.40 | 37 ⅜ |
| 96 | 37.80 | 37 13⁄16 |
| 97 | 38.19 | 38 3⁄16 |
| 98 | 38.58 | 38 9⁄16 |
| 99 | 38.98 | 39 |
| 100 | 39.37 | 39 ⅜ |
How to convert cm to inches by hand
Divide by 2.54. That is the whole method. Here are two worked examples, one of them ending in feet and inches.
Example 1: 30 cm to inches
- 30 ÷ 2.54 = 11.811…
- Round to two decimals: 11.81 inches.
- On a ruler, 11.81 in falls between 11 ¾ in (11.75) and 11 13⁄16 in (11.8125). The nearest mark is 11 13⁄16 in.
- A 30 cm ruler is a little shorter than a 12-inch ruler, which measures 30.48 cm.
Example 2: 175 cm to feet and inches
- 175 ÷ 2.54 = 68.90 inches.
- One foot is 12 inches, so take out the full feet: 5 × 12 = 60, and 68.90 − 60 = 8.90.
- 175 cm = 5 ft 8.9 in, which most people round to 5′9″.
One tip: round once, at the very end. If you round 2.54 down to 2.5, every answer comes out about 1.6% too big.
Common sizes in cm and inches
Metric sizes show up on product pages, imported furniture, and anything made outside the US. Here is how the usual ones translate.
Paper sizes
| Paper | Size in cm | Size in inches |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21.0 × 29.7 cm | 8.27 × 11.69 in |
| US Letter | 21.59 × 27.94 cm | 8.5 × 11 in |
| A5 | 14.8 × 21.0 cm | 5.83 × 8.27 in |
| A3 | 29.7 × 42.0 cm | 11.69 × 16.54 in |
| US Legal | 21.59 × 35.56 cm | 8.5 × 14 in |
A4 is a little narrower and taller than US Letter. The A sizes come from the ISO 216 standard, used almost everywhere outside North America.
TV and monitor screens
Screens are sold by their diagonal in inches. If a listing gives the diagonal in cm, divide by 2.54 to get the size you know.
| Diagonal in cm | Diagonal in inches | Sold as |
|---|---|---|
| 33.78 cm | 13.3 in | 13.3-inch laptop |
| 39.62 cm | 15.6 in | 15.6-inch laptop |
| 60.96 cm | 24 in | 24-inch monitor |
| 68.58 cm | 27 in | 27-inch monitor |
| 81.28 cm | 32 in | 32-inch TV |
| 139.70 cm | 55 in | 55-inch TV |
| 165.10 cm | 65 in | 65-inch TV |
Pizza sizes
Pizzerias outside the US often list the diameter in cm. Size names like “medium” change from one chain to the next, so compare the diameter instead.
| Diameter | In inches | Closest US size |
|---|---|---|
| 25 cm | 9.84 in | about a 10-inch pizza |
| 30 cm | 11.81 in | about a 12-inch pizza |
| 35 cm | 13.78 in | about a 14-inch pizza |
| 40 cm | 15.75 in | about a 16-inch pizza |
| 45 cm | 17.72 in | about a 18-inch pizza |
Waist sizes
US jeans list the waist in inches: W32 means a 32-inch waist. Tape measures and European size charts often use cm. Brands cut differently, so check each brand’s own chart.
| Waist in cm | Waist in inches | US jeans size |
|---|---|---|
| 71 cm | 27.95 in | W28 |
| 76 cm | 29.92 in | W30 |
| 81 cm | 31.89 in | W32 |
| 86 cm | 33.86 in | W34 |
| 91 cm | 35.83 in | W36 |
| 97 cm | 38.19 in | W38 |
Height: cm to feet and inches
| Height in cm | Inches | Feet and inches |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 59.06 in | 4 ft 11.1 in |
| 155 cm | 61.02 in | 5 ft 1.0 in |
| 160 cm | 62.99 in | 5 ft 3.0 in |
| 165 cm | 64.96 in | 5 ft 5.0 in |
| 170 cm | 66.93 in | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 175 cm | 68.90 in | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 180 cm | 70.87 in | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 185 cm | 72.83 in | 6 ft 0.8 in |
| 190 cm | 74.80 in | 6 ft 2.8 in |
| 195 cm | 76.77 in | 6 ft 4.8 in |
| 200 cm | 78.74 in | 6 ft 6.7 in |
More sizes to compare
- What 5 inches looks like: 12.7 cm, from a 5-inch inseam to a 40d nail
- What 6 inches looks like: 15.24 cm, from a 6-inch sub to 6 inches of snow
- 20 cm in inches: 7.87 in, just under 8 inches
- What 8 inches looks like: 20.32 cm, and why an “8-inch” block is 7⅝ inches
- Inches to cm converter: any length in inches, with a 1–100 inch chart and fractions
FAQs
1 cm is 0.3937 inches, a little more than 3/8 inch (0.375 in).
Exactly 2.54 cm. Since 1959, the inch has been defined as exactly 25.4 millimeters.
30 cm is 11.81 inches, just under 1 foot. A foot (12 inches) is 30.48 cm.
Divide the centimeters by 2.54 to get inches, then divide by 12. The whole number is the feet; what is left over is the inches. For example, 180 cm = 70.87 in = 5 ft 10.9 in.
No. An inch is 2.54 times longer than a centimeter, so it takes about 2 ½ cm to make one inch.
10 cm is 3.94 inches, just under 4 inches.
Going the other way? Use the inches to cm converter.