About This Centimeters to Inches Converter
The centimeter (cm) is the metric unit used worldwide for everyday measurements — height, clothing dimensions, furniture, and medical readings. The inch (in) is its imperial counterpart, the default for screen sizes, clothing in the US and UK, and most hardware sold in North America. The conversion is exact: 1 inch equals precisely 2.54 centimeters, so 1 cm = 0.393701 inches.
This converter supports six length units: centimeters, inches, meters, millimeters, feet, and yards. Fashion designers converting EU sizing charts to US measurements, global e-commerce sellers listing product dimensions for US customers, and anyone recording height in centimeters who needs the US equivalent all rely on this conversion daily.
How to Use This Converter
- Enter your centimeter value in the Value field.
- Confirm Centimeter is selected in the From dropdown.
- Select Inch in the To dropdown (or any other target unit).
- The result and formula appear instantly below the inputs.
- Use Swap to flip the direction, or Reset to clear all fields.
Units Covered
| Unit | Symbol | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Centimeter | cm | Body measurements, clothing sizes, furniture dimensions in metric countries |
| Inch | in | Screen sizes, US/UK clothing, hardware, and product dimensions |
| Meter | m | Room dimensions, athletic distances, structural engineering |
| Millimeter | mm | Engineering tolerances, precision components, fastener sizes |
| Foot | ft | Human height in US/UK, building floors, ceiling heights |
| Yard | yd | Fabric and textile measurement, American outdoor distances |
Centimeters to Inches Conversion Table
| Centimeters [cm] | Inches [in] |
|---|---|
| 1 cm | 0.3937 in |
| 5 cm | 1.9685 in |
| 10 cm | 3.9370 in |
| 20 cm | 7.8740 in |
| 30 cm | 11.811 in |
| 50 cm | 19.685 in |
| 60 cm | 23.622 in |
| 100 cm | 39.370 in |
| 150 cm | 59.055 in |
| 170 cm | 66.929 in |
| 180 cm | 70.866 in |
| 200 cm | 78.740 in |
How to Convert Centimeters to Inches
To convert centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54:
Example: Convert 170 cm to inches:
To convert inches back to centimeters, multiply by 2.54:
Example: Convert 72 inches to centimeters:
When You Need to Convert Centimeters to Inches
Height is the most frequent use case. Most of the world records height in centimeters — a person who is 175 cm needs to express that as 68.9 inches, or 5 feet 8.9 inches, for US job applications, fitness apps with imperial defaults, or American dating profiles. The mental shortcut "divide by 2.54" is exact, but for common heights the table above is faster.
E-commerce and product listings cross unit systems constantly. A European furniture seller listing on Amazon US must convert a 90 cm shelf to 35.43 inches. A cosmetics brand shipping 30 cm bottles to American retailers needs the 11.81-inch label for compliance. Any product dimension in centimeters requires a precise inch equivalent for US-market descriptions, packaging, and regulatory filings.
Fashion and textiles also drive heavy traffic. European clothing sizes are based on body measurements in centimeters — a size 40 dress corresponds to a 80 cm bust. US sizing charts use inches. Pattern makers, tailors, and online shoppers comparing European garment measurements to US size guides all use this conversion to avoid ordering the wrong size across international retailers.