Which unit is used where?
The metric system (millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers) is the everyday standard in most countries. The US and a few others still use inches, feet, yards and miles, while ships and aircraft use the nautical mile (1,852 m). Micrometers and nanometers appear mostly in engineering and science.
Handy reference points
1 inch is exactly 2.54 cm, 1 foot is exactly 30.48 cm, 1 yard is exactly 91.44 cm and 1 mile is exactly 1,609.344 m. For quick estimates, 1 km is about 0.62 miles and 1 meter is about 3.28 feet.
Conversion factors
1 m = 3.28084 ft
1 ft = 0.3048 m
One unit converted to all others: Meter (m)
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Millimeter (mm) | 1,000 |
| Centimeter (cm) | 100 |
| Meter (m) | 1 |
| Kilometer (km) | 0.001 |
| Inch (in) | 39.3701 |
| Foot (ft) | 3.28084 |
| Yard (yd) | 1.09361 |
| Mile (mi) | 0.000621371 |
| Micrometer (µm) | 1,000,000 |
| Nanometer (nm) | 1,000,000,000 |
| Nautical mile (nmi) | 0.000539957 |
| Mil (thou) (mil) | 39,370.1 |
Common values
| Meter (m) | Foot (ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 m | 3.28084 ft |
| 5 m | 16.4042 ft |
| 10 m | 32.8084 ft |
| 50 m | 164.042 ft |
| 100 m | 328.084 ft |
| Foot (ft) | Meter (m) |
|---|---|
| 1 ft | 0.3048 m |
| 5 ft | 1.524 m |
| 10 ft | 3.048 m |
| 50 ft | 15.24 m |
| 100 ft | 30.48 m |