CM to inches converter
This CM to inches converter divides centimeters by 2.54, because one inch is exactly 2.54 cm. It opens on 1 centimeter, which is 0.3937007874 inches at the default 10 significant digits. Type any length and select Convert, and the conversion runs in your browser.
Your result
Results use the displayed unit definitions. Copy copies the value; Download includes units, definitions and rounding notes.
CM to inches conversion table
Each inch value below is what the converter shows for that many centimeters at 10 significant digits, because the table was built with the converter's own code. The 2.54 row lands on exactly 1 inch. Lengths between the rows follow the same rule, so 172 cm is 67.71653543 inches.
| Centimeters (cm) | Inches (in) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.3937007874 |
| 2 | 0.7874015748 |
| 2.5 | 0.9842519685 |
| 2.54 | 1 |
| 3 | 1.181102362 |
| 4 | 1.57480315 |
| 5 | 1.968503937 |
| 10 | 3.937007874 |
| 15 | 5.905511811 |
| 20 | 7.874015748 |
| 25 | 9.842519685 |
| 30 | 11.81102362 |
| 50 | 19.68503937 |
| 60 | 23.62204724 |
| 100 | 39.37007874 |
Whole centimeters rarely give whole inches. 30 cm is 11.81102362 inches, just short of a foot, and 100 cm is 39.37007874 inches. Doubling the centimeters doubles the inches, so the 2 cm row is twice the 1 cm row and 50 cm is half of 100 cm. For millimeters, move the decimal point one place first: 25 mm is 2.5 cm, or 0.9842519685 inches.
How the cm to inches formula works
To change centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54. The divisor is exact: the converter defines the inch as 0.0254 meters and the centimeter as 0.01 meters, and 0.0254 ÷ 0.01 is 2.54. Multiplying by 0.3937007874 gives almost the same answer, but that factor is itself rounded.
- Centimeters to inches inches = centimeters ÷ 2.54 Example: 30 cm = 11.81102362 in.
- Inches to centimeters centimeters = inches × 2.54 Example: 12 in = 30.48 cm.
The second formula is the reverse direction, which the swap button (⇄) gives on this page. It is exact as well, so 12 in is 30.48 cm with nothing rounded, and a result typed back in returns to its start: 0.3937007874 inches converts to 1 cm. A tape measure marked in sixteenths needs one more step. 10 cm is 3.937007874 inches, which rounds to 3.9375 at a 0.0625 increment, or 3 15/16 inches.
How to convert cm to inches here
The converter opens with Length as the Measurement family, Centimeter (cm) in From, Inch (in) in To and 1 in Value or size. Change only what you need.
- Type the length in centimeters in Value or size, with a dot for decimals, such as 172.5 for a height.
- Keep Centimeter (cm) and Inch (in), or pick Millimeter (mm) or Meter (m) in From. The swap button (⇄) reverses the pair for inches to centimeters.
- Choose 6, 10 or 15 significant digits in Display precision. The page starts at 10.
- Select Convert or press Enter. Converted value shows the inches, and the line under it reads, for example, 1 Centimeter = 0.3937007874 Inch.
- Select Copy result for the number alone, or Download text for a file with that line and the notes. Reset goes back to 1 centimeter to inches.
Limits
The result is one decimal number in one unit. The converter cannot show feet and inches together, such as 5 ft 7 in, and it never writes fractions of an inch. For a height, convert to inches and split off whole feet: 170 cm is 66.92913386 inches, which is 5 feet and 6.93 inches.
Commas and unit letters in the field return an error, so type 1250 rather than 1,250 cm. Very small results switch to e notation, and 0.000001 cm shows as 3.937007874e-7 inches. A fraction such as 3/8 typed in the field returns an error too, so enter 0.375.
The menu has one inch, the international inch of 0.0254 meters. Negative values convert, as for a change in length, so -2.54 cm gives -1 inch. The converter takes one value at a time, and its Length menu has nothing smaller than a millimeter.
Questions
Is 3 cm the same as 1 inch?
No. Three centimeters is 1.181102362 inches, about 18 percent more than an inch. An inch is exactly 2.54 cm, which falls between 2.5 cm and 3 cm on a ruler. The nearest half centimeter, 2.5 cm, is 0.9842519685 inches, just short of one inch.
Is 1 inch 5 cm?
No. One inch is 2.54 cm, about half of 5 cm. Five centimeters is 1.968503937 inches, so it is close to 2 inches instead. A quick check is to double 2.54: 2 inches is 5.08 cm, only 0.08 cm more than 5 cm.
What size is 32 cm in inches?
Thirty-two centimeters is 12.5984252 inches at 10 significant digits, a little over 12 and a half inches. Rounded to the nearest sixteenth of an inch it is 12.625 inches, which the fraction calculator writes as 12 5/8. For any other size, type it in Value or size and select Convert.
How do you convert cm to inches?
Divide the centimeters by 2.54. For example, 20 cm ÷ 2.54 = 7.874015748 inches and 60 cm ÷ 2.54 = 23.62204724 inches. To go the other way, multiply inches by 2.54. The converter on this page does the division for you and shows 6, 10 or 15 significant digits.
What does 10 cm look like in inches?
Ten centimeters is 3.937007874 inches, just under 4 inches. On a ruler marked in sixteenths, the nearest mark is 3 15/16 inches. For a longer comparison, 100 cm is 39.37007874 inches, a little more than one yard, which is 36 inches.