Feet to Meters Converter

The foot is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. One international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters, a standard established by the 1959 international yard and pound agreement among English-speaking nations. Historically, the foot was based on the human foot and varied considerably by region—the ancient Roman foot was about 296 mm, while the English foot evolved to be roughly 305 mm. For authoritative details, see the Wikipedia article on the Foot (unit).

The meter (or metre) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian through Paris, it was later redefined using physical prototypes and, since 1983, is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition ties the meter to the fundamental constant of the speed of light and is maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Learn more on Wikipedia: Metre.

It is worth noting the distinction between the international foot (0.3048 m exactly) and the US survey foot (1200/3937 m ≈ 0.3048006096 m). The survey foot is still used in some US states for land surveying and property mapping because older survey data was recorded using this slightly longer definition. The two differ by about 2 parts per million, which can matter over distances of many miles.

Here are some frequently used conversions between feet and meters, along with related imperial and metric units:

• 1 foot = 0.3048 meters (exact)
• 1 foot = 12 inches (exact)
• 1 foot = 0.3333 yards (1/3 yard, exact)
• 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters (exact)
• 1 foot = 304.8 millimeters (exact)
• 1 meter = 3.28084 feet (approximate)
• 1 meter = 39.3701 inches (approximate)
• 1 meter = 1.09361 yards (approximate)

For converting other length units, try our CM to Inches Converter or Miles to KM Converter.

Feet-to-meters conversions are essential in many fields. In construction and architecture, building plans in the US are typically drawn in feet and inches, while international projects often use metric drawings. Contractors working on cross-border developments must convert dimensions accurately to ensure materials fit correctly.

In aviation, altitude is universally measured in feet worldwide (with few exceptions), while runway lengths and aircraft specifications may be documented in either system depending on the country. Pilots and air traffic controllers must be fluent in both.

Sports also provide clear examples. An Olympic swimming pool is 50 meters long, while American high-school pools are often 25 yards (75 feet). Track and field events like the 100-meter dash and the mile run require athletes and coaches to understand both metric and imperial distances. For runners, our Pace Calculator can help analyze performance across different race lengths.

In real estate, property sizes in the US are listed in square feet, while most other countries use square meters. Understanding the conversion helps international buyers compare properties across markets. Use our Area Calculator for more advanced area computations involving rectangles, triangles, circles, and other shapes.