About the Length Converter
This converts a distance or length between metric and imperial units — the everyday need when a measurement is given in one system and you think in another. Convert a height from centimetres to feet and inches, a run from kilometres to miles, a screen or timber measurement between inches and millimetres, or a sea/air distance in nautical miles. Pick the units, type a value, and the result updates instantly.
How it works
Every unit is defined by an exact factor relative to the metre. Your value is converted to metres, then to the target unit. The key factors used are exact by definition:
- 1 inch = 0.0254 m, so 1 foot = 0.3048 m and 1 yard = 0.9144 m.
- 1 mile = 1609.344 m (1760 yards).
- 1 nautical mile = 1852 m (used for sea and air navigation).
Because these are exact definitions, the conversions are precise; only the display is rounded (to about 7 significant figures).
Assumptions and behaviour
- Uses the international definitions of the foot, yard and mile (the tiny historical "US survey foot" difference isn't applied).
- A nautical mile (1852 m) is not the same as a statute mile (1609.344 m) — pick the right one for the context.
- Results are shown to about 7 significant figures and switch to scientific notation for very large or very small numbers.
- The Swap button flips the two units so you can convert back.
Limitations
- It converts lengths, not areas or volumes — squaring or cubing a unit changes the factor (a square foot isn't 0.3048 of a square metre). Use the Area or Volume converters for those.
- Displayed values are rounded, so chaining conversions by hand from rounded figures can drift slightly; the underlying maths uses full precision.
- It handles standard length units; it doesn't cover niche or historical units (furlongs, chains, cubits).
Privacy
The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
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