cm to in — convert centimetres to inches

1cm0.39370079in

Exact 1 ÷ 2.54 = 0.39370079

1 centimetre in other units

Nanometres10,000,000nm
Micrometres10,000µm
Millimetres10mm
Metres0.01m
Kilometres0.00001km
Inches0.39370079in
Feet0.0328084ft
Yards0.01093613yd
Miles0.000006213712mi
Nautical miles0.000005399568nmi

cm to in at a glance

CentimetresInches
1 cm0.39370079 in
2 cm0.78740157 in
3 cm1.181102 in
5 cm1.968504 in
10 cm3.937008 in
20 cm7.874016 in
25 cm9.84252 in
50 cm19.685039 in
100 cm39.370079 in
250 cm98.425197 in
500 cm196.850394 in
1,000 cm393.700787 in

How to convert centimetres to inches

Multiply by 0.39370079 — one centimetre is 0.39370079 inches. That factor is exact: it comes from the definition of the units rather than from a measurement, so it will not change and does not need rounding.

Working 1 ÷ 2.54 = 0.39370079

What these units are

The centimetre and the inch are covered in the length unit guide, along with every other unit on this page.

Questions

How many inches are in a centimetre?

One centimetre is 0.39370079 inches. This figure is exact — it comes from the definition of the unit, not a measurement.

What is 1 centimetre in inches?

1 centimetre is 0.39370079 inches. The working is 1 ÷ 2.54 = 0.39370079.

Is an inch exactly 2.54 centimetres?

Yes, exactly. Since 1959 the international inch has been defined as 25.4 millimetres, so the figure is a definition rather than a measurement. Every foot, yard and mile figure on this page follows from it and is equally exact.

Why is a nautical mile different from a mile?

It is tied to the Earth rather than to a body part. One nautical mile is one minute of latitude, fixed at exactly 1,852 metres, which makes chart work straightforward for anyone navigating by degrees.

How do I write my height in metric?

Convert the whole thing to inches first, then multiply by 2.54. Five foot ten is 70 inches, which is 177.8 cm. Converting the feet and the inches separately is where the arithmetic usually goes wrong.

Meter or metre?

Both name the same unit. "Metre" is the international spelling used by the SI and most English-speaking countries; "meter" is standard in the United States. Either spelling will find this page.

Other length conversions

More conversions