Convert Meters to Feet

The formula

ft = m × 3.28084

• m — the length in meters.
• ft — the equivalent length in feet.
• 3.28084 — 1 ÷ 0.3048; the reciprocal of the exact foot-to-meter conversion.

Alternatively: ft = m ÷ 0.3048.

Worked example

Using the default of 2 m:

1. Multiply by 3.28084: 2 × 3.28084 = 6.562 ft.
2. In feet-and-inches: 6′ + (0.562 × 12) = 6′6.74″.

So 2 m ≈ 6.56 ft (or 6′6¾″).

Conversion table

Meters (m)	Feet (ft)
1	3.281
1.5	4.921
1.8	5.906
2	6.562
2.5	8.202
3	9.843
5	16.404
10	32.808
15	49.213
20	65.617
50	164.042
100	328.084

History & standards

The meter was introduced in revolutionary France in 1795 and defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. Since 1983 it has been defined by the speed of light: the distance light travels in a vacuum in exactly 1/299,792,458 seconds. The foot predates metric systems by millennia; the International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959 fixed 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, tying the imperial foot to the SI. NIST retired the slightly different US survey foot in 2023; the international foot is now the sole US legal definition.

Common applications

• Ceiling & building heights. European buildings list floor heights in meters; US construction uses feet.
• Athletics. Track events use meters; US audiences often need the feet equivalent (100 m ≈ 328 ft).
• Swimming pools. Olympic pools are 50 m = 164 ft; US pools are often 25 yds.
• Aviation. Runway lengths are given in meters internationally, feet in the US.
• Real estate. European property descriptions list room dimensions in meters; US buyers need feet.

Reverse conversion

To convert feet back to meters, multiply by 0.3048: m = ft × 0.3048. Use the feet to meters calculator.

Limitations & gotchas

• Displayed precision. The calculator shows 3–4 decimal places. The conversion factor 3.28084 is itself a rounded approximation of 1÷0.3048; the underlying calculation is exact.
• Feet-and-inches output. The calculator returns decimal feet. For a feet-and-inches breakdown, multiply the decimal part by 12 (e.g. 6.562 ft → 6′ + 0.562×12 = 6.74″ → 6′6.74″).
• US survey foot (deprecated 2023). The difference from the international foot is <2 ppm — negligible for everyday purposes.

Sources & references

• NIST SP 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI).
• BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition.
• 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
• Federal Register Vol. 88, No. 60 (2023) — deprecation of the US survey foot.