Inches to cm
Common values
| From (in) | To (cm) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0.0000 |
| 0.2 | 0.5080 |
| 0.4 | 1.0160 |
| 0.6 | 1.5240 |
| 0.8 | 2.0320 |
| 1 | 2.5400 |
| 1.2 | 3.0480 |
| 1.4 | 3.5560 |
| 1.6 | 4.0640 |
| 1.8 | 4.5720 |
| 2 | 5.0800 |
One inch equals exactly 2.54 centimetres by international definition. To convert:
cm = inches × 2.54
- 6 inches × 2.54 = 15.24 cm
- 12 inches (1 foot) × 2.54 = 30.48 cm
- 72 inches (6 feet) × 2.54 = 182.88 cm
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm
Canadians frequently need to convert inches to centimetres when reading US product listings, assembling imported furniture, or working in trades that blend imperial and metric tools. Canadian building codes are metric, but legacy blueprints and US lumber sizes still use inches.
Lumber sold in Canada is still described in "nominal" imperial sizes (2×4, 2×6) even though the actual dimensions are in millimetres. A "2×4" is actually 38 mm × 89 mm. Screen sizes for TVs, monitors, and phones are universally quoted in inches across Canada, as in the US.
Frequently asked questions
- Is 5 feet 11 inches tall? 5 ft 11 in = 71 inches = 71 × 2.54 = 180.34 cm.
- What is 1 inch in cm? Exactly 2.54 cm.
- Why is Canada still using inches for some things? Geographic and economic integration with the United States has preserved imperial usage in trades, construction, and consumer electronics despite Canada's official adoption of metric in the 1970s.
Related converters: Unit Converter