Convert Meters (m) to Feet (ft)

What Is a Meter?

The meter (m) is the SI base unit of length, defined by the speed of light in vacuum. It is the global standard for measuring distance in science, engineering, construction, and daily life in most countries worldwide.

What Is a Foot?

The foot (ft) is a unit of length in the US customary and British imperial systems. One foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters. It is the primary unit for height, room dimensions, and elevation in the United States and is used informally in the UK.

Meters to Feet Formula

The conversion factor derives from the exact definition of the foot:

feet = meters × 3.2808398950131 exact

This is the reciprocal of 0.3048: 1/0.3048 = 3.28084 ft per meter.

Worked Example

Convert 1.75 m (average height in many countries) to feet:

1. Multiply: 1.75 × 3.28084 = 5.7415 ft
2. In feet and inches: 5 ft + (0.7415 × 12) = 5 ft 8.9 in

Quick Estimation

For mental math, multiply meters by 3.3 (overshoots by 0.6%). Example: 10 m × 3.3 = 33 ft (exact: 32.81 ft).

Common Use Cases

• International real estate: Metric property listings must be converted to feet for US buyers. A 50 m² room ≈ 538 ft².
• Sports: Olympic pool = 50 m = 164 ft. Soccer pitch = 100 m = 328 ft.
• Height: 1.80 m = 5 ft 10.9 in — essential for international ID documents.
• Construction: International specs in meters must be converted for US contractors.