Feet to Inches Converter
Convert feet to inches instantly. Type a value in the field below and the equivalent number of inches appears as you type. The formula is a single multiplication by 12, which is the exact number of inches in one foot by definition — no rounding is required at any point, and every result is exact.
Feet → Inches
Exact conversion. No sign-up. Works offline after the page loads.
Note: Negative values are converted mathematically. Physical lengths are normally positive.
The feet to inches formula
inches = feet × 12
The number 12 is not a rounding or an approximation. The foot has been defined as exactly 12 inches for centuries, and this relationship was carried unchanged into the modern imperial and US customary systems. Every conversion on this page uses that exact value, so no uncertainty is introduced by the factor.
Because the multiplier is a whole number, multiplying any terminating-decimal foot value by 12 produces a terminating-decimal inch value. There is no repeating decimal to worry about and no rounding required at the display step. A value of 5.5 feet is exactly 66 inches, not approximately; a value of 0.25 feet is exactly 3 inches.
To reverse the calculation and go from inches back to feet, divide by 12. The two operations are exact inverses of one another, so converting a value in one direction and then back always returns the original number, subject only to the ordinary limits of floating-point representation in a computer.
Worked examples
Each example below shows the arithmetic step by step. Because the factor is exact, every result shown is the full value — no rounding is required.
Example 1 — Convert 1 foot to inches
Formula: inches = feet × 12 Substitute: inches = 1 × 12 Multiply: inches = 12 Displayed: 12 in
One foot is exactly 12 inches by definition. The result requires no rounding and no further interpretation.
Example 2 — Convert 5 feet to inches
Formula: inches = feet × 12 Substitute: inches = 5 × 12 Multiply: inches = 60 Displayed: 60 in
Five feet equals exactly 60 inches. This figure appears in everyday conversation about height, where a person described as "five foot" is 60 inches tall — the equivalent of 152.4 centimeters.
Example 3 — Convert 5.5 feet to inches
Formula: inches = feet × 12 Substitute: inches = 5.5 × 12 Multiply: inches = 66 Displayed: 66 in
Five and a half feet equals exactly 66 inches, which is the same as five feet six inches. Decimal feet and feet-plus-inches are two ways of expressing the same length, and this is why a height written as 5′ 6″ produces the same result as entering 5.5 feet.
Example 4 — Convert 6 feet to inches
Formula: inches = feet × 12 Substitute: inches = 6 × 12 Multiply: inches = 72 Displayed: 72 in
Six feet equals exactly 72 inches. This value is the traditional height of a tall person and the standard length of a US door. In metric terms 72 inches is exactly 182.88 centimeters.
Example 5 — Convert 0.5 feet to inches
Formula: inches = feet × 12 Substitute: inches = 0.5 × 12 Multiply: inches = 6 Displayed: 6 in
Half a foot equals exactly six inches. Values below one foot appear frequently in carpentry and DIY work, where offcuts and small dimensions are often stated as fractions of a foot.
Feet to inches conversion chart
The table below lists the equivalent of common feet values in inches. Every number is exact, generated from the same formula used by the interactive converter above.
| Feet (ft) | Inches (in) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 ft | 6 in |
| 1 ft | 12 in |
| 1.5 ft | 18 in |
| 2 ft | 24 in |
| 2.5 ft | 30 in |
| 3 ft | 36 in |
| 4 ft | 48 in |
| 5 ft | 60 in |
| 5.5 ft | 66 in |
| 6 ft | 72 in |
| 6.5 ft | 78 in |
| 7 ft | 84 in |
| 8 ft | 96 in |
| 9 ft | 108 in |
| 10 ft | 120 in |
| 12 ft | 144 in |
| 15 ft | 180 in |
| 20 ft | 240 in |
| 25 ft | 300 in |
| 50 ft | 600 in |
| 100 ft | 1200 in |
How to use this converter
-
Type a value in the Feet field.
Whole numbers, decimals like
5.5, and negative numbers are all accepted. You can paste a value from another source. - Watch the Inches field update instantly. The result refreshes on every keystroke with no delay and no loading indicator — the arithmetic runs locally in your browser.
- Adjust the display precision if you want a shorter figure. The default of six decimals is more than enough for the exact values produced here. Even zero decimals is sufficient for most whole-foot inputs, because the results are whole numbers.
- Copy the result with the Copy button. The numeric value is placed on your clipboard and the action is confirmed visually and to screen readers.
- Use Swap to reverse the direction. The Swap button moves the current inch value into the input and switches the conversion to inches to feet, dividing by 12 so you can convert in the other direction without re-typing.
- Use Reset to start again. Reset clears the input, restores the empty state, and returns focus to the input field.
Practical uses for feet to inches conversion
Height records and medical charts
In countries that use the imperial system, adult and child height is normally recorded in feet and inches — 5′ 7″, 6′ 0″, and so on. When a medical chart asks for total inches, or when a height must be compared against a growth percentile that is expressed in inches, converting 5.5 feet to 66 inches is the arithmetic step that gets you there. The result is exact, so no rounding error is introduced by the conversion itself.
US construction and lumber measurement
Lumber in the United States is sold by nominal size (a "2×4") and by length in feet. A stud wall with 8-foot studs uses timbers that are 96 inches long. When cutting to fit between a floor and a ceiling, the working measurement is almost always in inches, so the conversion from feet is done constantly on the job. A 16-foot board is exactly 192 inches; a 10-foot board is exactly 120 inches.
Interior design and floor plans
Room dimensions on US architectural drawings are normally given in feet and inches together, but the underlying coordinates in CAD files are often stored in a single unit. Converting a 12-foot room wall to 144 inches lets the designer work with a single consistent unit, which avoids the mistakes that creep in when feet and inches are mixed within a single drawing.
Tape-measure reading and workshop tasks
Tape measures in the US show feet, inches, and inch fractions along the same blade, with a foot marker every 12 inches. Converting between the two on the fly is a normal part of reading the tape — for example, when a plan says a shelf is 3.5 feet long and the tape measure is read in inches. Multiplying 3.5 by 12 gives 42 inches, which is the exact mark on the tape.
Hobby, model-making, and scale conversion
Scale modelling and miniature work frequently use feet as the reference unit for a real object and inches (or fractions of an inch) as the working unit for the model. A full-size object 20 feet long, modelled at 1:48 scale, corresponds to 240 inches full-size, which then divides down to 5 inches at model scale. The chain of conversions runs through feet-to-inches at least once, and any rounding at that step propagates into the final model dimension.
Sports field and track measurements
Many sports fields in the United States are laid out in feet, but sub-measurements are marked in inches. A basketball hoop is 10 feet (120 inches) above the floor; a volleyball net is 8 feet (96 inches) high for men's competition. Converting the headline figure to inches lets officials and groundskeepers set up equipment with a single tape-measure reading rather than combining feet and inches.
Frequently asked questions
How many inches are in one foot?
There are exactly 12 inches in one foot.
This is a definition, not a measurement, so it has no uncertainty and applies to every foot value without exception. Multiply any foot value by 12 to get the equivalent number of inches.
Why is a foot 12 inches?
The twelve-inch foot comes from historical English measurement practice, in which the foot was divided into twelve equal parts called inches.
The relationship was standardised centuries ago and was retained unchanged when the imperial and US customary systems were formalised. Other ancient and medieval cultures used different numbers — some feet had 10, 13, or 16 subunits — but the twelve-inch foot became the standard, and it is the one still in use today.
How do I convert inches back to feet?
Divide the inch value by 12.
For example, 72 inches divided by 12 equals 6 feet. Because multiplication and division are inverse operations, converting a value in one direction and then back always returns the original number. You can also use the Swap button on this page to convert in the other direction without leaving the page.
How many inches is 5 foot 6?
Five foot six equals 66 inches.
Five feet is 60 inches, plus the extra 6 inches makes 66. To convert 66 inches to centimeters, multiply by 2.54 to get exactly 167.64 centimeters. Because the intermediate step is exact, the final metric value is also exact. The same reasoning applies to any height written in feet and inches.
Is feet the same as foot?
Yes. Foot is the singular form and feet is the plural.
For values other than exactly one, standard English usage is feet — "six feet tall", not "six foot tall" in careful writing. The abbreviation ft is unchanged in both cases, and in informal speech the singular form is often used after a number regardless of quantity.
How many inches is 6 feet?
Six feet equals exactly 72 inches.
Multiplying 6 by 12 gives 72 with no rounding required, because the multiplier is a whole number. In centimeters, 72 inches is exactly 182.88 centimeters. Six feet is the traditional height threshold in many contexts — including door heights, ceiling heights, and the boundary between tall and very tall in ordinary conversation.
Can I enter decimal feet like 5.5?
Yes. The converter accepts decimal feet and multiplies by 12.
A value of 5.5 feet equals exactly 66 inches, which is the same as five feet and six inches. This is the most direct way to handle heights that are written with a fraction of a foot, such as 5.75 feet or 6.25 feet. Multiplying by 12 in every case produces the total number of inches with no rounding.
Does this convert feet to centimeters as well?
Not directly. This converter produces inches.
To reach centimeters, convert feet to inches on this page and then use the inches to centimeters converter to complete the second step. The two multiplications — by 12 and by 2.54 — are both exact, so the combined result is also exact. A simpler way to remember it: one foot equals exactly 30.48 centimeters.