CM to Inches Converter
Turn centimeters into inches for height, screen sizes, furniture dimensions, and everyday measurement checks.
How to use this cm to inches converter
- Enter centimeters
Type the length into the Centimeters field.
- Read the result
The equivalent value in Inches appears instantly.
- Divide by 12 for feet
If you need feet and inches, divide the inches result by 12 to get the feet portion.
How this cm to inches converter works
This page converts centimeters to inches using the exact international agreement that defines one inch as 2.54 centimeters. It is useful for clothing sizes, product dimensions, furniture measurements, and height conversions where a dedicated one-way converter is faster than a generic unit tool.
inches = centimeters ÷ 2.54 170 cm ÷ 2.54 = 66.93 inches.
A TV screen measures 80 cm across. In inches: 80 ÷ 2.54 = 31.50 inches — close to a 32-inch display.
- ✓ Length conversions use the international yard-and-pound agreement of 1959 (1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly), which underpins all imperial-to-metric length factors.
- ✓ Weight conversions treat mass and weight interchangeably under standard Earth gravity — the tool converts mass units (grams, pounds) without adjusting for local gravitational variation.
- ✓ Volume conversions use the metric definition where 1 liter = 1,000 cubic centimeters exactly, and U.S. customary fluid ounces / gallons are used (not Imperial UK gallons).
- ✓ Definition-based factors are exact where standards define them exactly; inverse decimal factors shown on one-way pages may be rounded for readability while still being based on the exact published relationship.
- When converting between metric prefixes (e.g. millimeters to kilometers), the tool simply shifts by powers of 10 — no rounding is introduced because the metric system is base-10 by design.
- Imperial and U.S. customary systems share some unit names (ounce, gallon, ton) but with different sizes. This tool uses U.S. customary definitions unless otherwise noted.
- For cooking measurements, note that a U.S. cup is 236.588 mL (not 250 mL), and a U.S. tablespoon is 14.787 mL — these differ from metric and Australian standards.
- Troy ounces (used for precious metals) differ from avoirdupois ounces (used for everyday weight): 1 troy oz = 31.1035 g vs. 1 avoirdupois oz = 28.3495 g.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Handbook 44, Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement
- Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) — The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition
- U.S. Code Title 15, §205a–205l — Metric Conversion Act definitions
Centimeters and inches explained
A centimeter is one hundredth of a meter in the metric system, while an inch is an imperial unit defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters since the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement. Centimeters dominate in most countries for everyday measurements — clothing sizes, body dimensions, product packaging — while inches remain standard in the United States, Canada (partially), and the United Kingdom for screen sizes, construction, and personal height. Converting between the two is one of the most common unit-conversion tasks in global commerce and travel.
CM to inches converter FAQs
How many inches are in 10 centimeters?
10 cm ÷ 2.54 = about 3.94 inches.
Why is the 2.54 factor exact?
The international yard-and-pound agreement of 1959 defined one inch as exactly 2.54 centimeters, so no rounding is needed.
Can I use this converter for height?
Yes. Enter your height in centimeters and the result is your height in inches. Divide by 12 to get feet and inches.