How to Convert Feet to Meters

4 min read•June 1, 2025•Reviewed: June 1, 2026

✓Reviewed by Apex Conversion Editorial Team · Last reviewed June 1, 2026

Feet and meters are the most frequently converted length units in everyday life. Americans measure rooms, heights, and distances in feet; the rest of the world uses meters. Architects, travelers, engineers, and athletes all run into this conversion constantly.

The formula is exact, the conversion factor is simple, and with a few mental shortcuts you can estimate in your head within seconds.

The Conversion Formula

meters = feet × 0.3048  (exact)

One foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters.

Examples:
   5 ft × 0.3048 =  1.524 m
   6 ft × 0.3048 =  1.829 m
  10 ft × 0.3048 =  3.048 m
 100 ft × 0.3048 = 30.48 m

Why 0.3048?

Since 1959 the international yard and pound agreement defined one yard as exactly 0.9144 meters. One foot is one-third of a yard, so 0.9144 ÷ 3 = 0.3048. This is an exact definition — there is no rounding involved. Every foot-to-meter conversion you make carries no inherent measurement error from the conversion factor itself.

The inverse is also exact: one meter equals exactly 3.28084 feet (or 3 feet 3.37 inches). This number is slightly harder to remember, so most people memorize the 0.3048 direction.

Mental Math Shortcuts

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Rough estimate: multiply feet by 0.3 — accurate to within 1.6%.
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Better estimate: divide feet by 3.28 — within 0.03% for most values.
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Height trick: subtract 15% from feet to get approximate meters (6 ft → 6 − 0.9 = 5.1 ft… cleaner: 6 ft ÷ 3.28 = 1.83 m).
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Common anchor: 10 feet = 3.048 m ≈ 3 meters. Use this to scale up or down.
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For construction: 1 foot = 30.48 cm, which rounds to 30 cm for quick estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many meters is 6 feet?

6 feet equals exactly 1.8288 meters. This is a common height conversion — a 6-foot person is 183 cm tall.

How many feet is 1 meter?

1 meter equals approximately 3.281 feet, or 3 feet 3.37 inches. The exact conversion factor is 1 ÷ 0.3048 = 3.28084 feet per meter.

Is the conversion from feet to meters exact?

Yes. One foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters — an internationally agreed exact definition. There is no rounding error in the conversion factor itself.

How do I convert feet and inches to meters?

First convert everything to decimal feet: add the inches ÷ 12 to the whole feet. Then multiply by 0.3048. Example: 5 ft 9 in = 5 + 9/12 = 5.75 ft × 0.3048 = 1.7526 m.

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