CM to Inches Converter - Metric to Imperial Length

Convert centimeters to inches for clothing sizes, screen dimensions, and DIY projects. Instant metric-to-imperial conversion. 1 cm = 0.3937 in.

Quick Reference

Centimeters	Inches
1 cm	0.39"
5 cm	1.97"
10 cm	3.94"
25 cm	9.84"
50 cm	19.69"
100 cm	39.37"

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Frequently Asked Questions

The formula is: inches = centimeters ÷ 2.54. This is because 1 inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters, so to convert the other way, you divide by 2.54 (or multiply by 0.393701).

Common use cases include converting clothing sizes when shopping internationally, understanding screen dimensions for TVs and monitors, converting measurements in DIY and woodworking projects, and reading height measurements in medical records when traveling to countries that use imperial units.

The imperial system (inches, feet) originated in the British Empire and is still used primarily in the US. Most of the world adopted the metric system (centimeters, meters) in the late 18th century because it's based on powers of 10, making calculations easier. The 1959 international agreement standardized the conversion: 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly.

For everyday purposes like clothing or furniture, rounding to 1-2 decimal places is sufficient. For construction and manufacturing, use 2-3 decimal places. For scientific and engineering work, maintain at least 4 decimal places to preserve accuracy.

Yes. First convert cm to inches (divide by 2.54), then divide the result by 12 to get feet. The whole number is feet, and the remainder multiplied by 12 gives you the inches. For example: 180 cm = 70.87 inches = 5 feet 10.87 inches (5'10.87").

A common smartphone with a 6.5-inch screen actually measures 16.51 cm. A 27-inch computer monitor is 68.58 cm wide. An 8.5x11 inch sheet of paper is 21.59x27.94 cm (which is why A4 paper at 21x29.7 cm is slightly different).

Yes, completely. All conversions happen in your browser using JavaScript. No measurements are uploaded to any server, and the tool works offline once loaded. Your data never leaves your device.

This tool converts one value at a time, but you can quickly convert multiple measurements by entering each value and copying the result. For batch conversions of large datasets, consider using spreadsheet software with the formula =A1/2.54.

Fashion and apparel (international sizing), construction and architecture (blueprint specifications), electronics manufacturing (screen sizes, component dimensions), healthcare (medical equipment and patient measurements), and international trade where products move between metric and imperial countries.

Remember that 2.5 cm is roughly 1 inch (exactly 2.54 cm). For quick mental math: 10 cm ≈ 4 inches, 25 cm ≈ 10 inches, 30 cm ≈ 1 foot. Another trick: divide cm by 2.5 for a close approximation (e.g., 50 cm ÷ 2.5 = 20 inches; actual: 19.69 inches).