What does the Feet to Inches Converter do?
The Feet to Inches Converter turns any feet value into inches (and inches back into feet). The relationship is exact and was internationally standardized in 1959: 1 foot equals exactly 12 inches. So 5 ft = 60 in, 6 ft = 72 in, 10 ft = 120 in. Type a value in either field; the other updates as you type.
For decimal feet inputs, the result also shows the feet-and-inches breakdown (e.g. 5.5 ft = 66 in, displayed alongside "5 ft 6 in"). That second form is how Americans usually quote heights in conversation, even though decimal feet is what calculators and most digital forms expect.
When you'll use this conversion
Feet-to-inches is one of the most common imperial conversions, used everywhere imperial measurement persists.
Personal height. "I'm 5'10\"" in conversation, but online forms often want "70 inches" — that's 5×12 + 10. Hospitals, drivers' license records, dating apps, and ID forms variously use one or the other; converting back and forth is constant.
Construction and renovation. Lumber comes in standard lengths quoted in feet (8 ft, 10 ft, 12 ft) but cut to inch precision. An "8-foot 2×4" is 96 inches long; a "10-foot board" is 120 inches. Drywall sheets are 4 ft × 8 ft. Tile spec sheets and door dimensions are usually in inches.
Furniture and room dimensions. "I have an 8-foot wall" vs "the couch is 80 inches" — same dimensional space, different units. Knowing 8 ft = 96 in tells you whether the couch fits with 16 inches to spare for a side table.
Fabric and sewing. Patterns and fabric specs are usually in inches, but bolt lengths are quoted in yards (3 ft each). Converting between feet and inches helps plan project material needs.
Real estate. Ceiling heights ("vaulted 10-foot ceilings") and room dimensions often quote in feet, but appliance specs and door clearances are inches.
The math
1 foot = 12 inches (exactly, by definition)
To convert feet → inches: multiply by 12
To convert inches → feet: divide by 12
Worked example: how many inches in a 6-foot person?
- 6 × 12 = 72 inches
- Reverse: 72 ÷ 12 = 6.000 ft (exact)
For mixed-form heights like 5 ft 9 in, multiply the feet portion first then add the inches: 5 × 12 = 60, 60 + 9 = 69 inches total. Or convert to decimal feet first: 9 inches = 9/12 = 0.75 feet, so 5 ft 9 in = 5.75 ft = 69 in. Both routes give the same answer.
Common conversions
Reference values for the heights and lengths people convert most often:
| Reference | Feet | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 foot | 1 | 12 |
| 1 yard | 3 | 36 |
| typical desk depth | 2 | 24 |
| average US woman (~5'4\") | 5.33 | 64 |
| 5'6\" | 5.5 | 66 |
| average US man (~5'9\") | 5.75 | 69 |
| 6 feet | 6 | 72 |
| NBA average player (~6'7\") | 6.58 | 79 |
| typical room ceiling | 8 | 96 |
| vaulted ceiling minimum | 10 | 120 |
| standard storage container width | 10 | 120 |
Tips
Tip: the times-12 multiplication is one of the easier mental conversions. For round feet values: 5 → 60, 6 → 72, 7 → 84, 8 → 96, 10 → 120. For values with decimal halves, multiply the feet by 12 then add 6 for the half: 5.5 ft → 60 + 6 = 66 in.
Mixed form is common in conversation; decimal is common in forms. Saying "5'10\"" out loud is natural; entering "5.83" into a form is what software expects. Knowing both forms saves friction.
Yards are 3 feet (or 36 inches). Sometimes useful for fabric, lawn, or sports specs that use yards. To go yards → inches, multiply by 36.
For metric, switch tools. 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 foot = 30.48 cm. The general Length Converter handles cm/in/ft/m/km/yd/mi all in one view.
Related length tools
- The reverse direction: Inches to Feet Converter. Same conversion, different starting unit and a feet+inches breakdown shown.
- For metric ↔ imperial across all the common units, use the Length Converter.
- For metric small-unit conversions (mm to in for screen sizes, drill bits), the mm to Inches Converter.
- For aspect-ratio math when working with screens, the Aspect Ratio Calculator handles diagonal/width/height relationships.
Frequently asked questions
How many inches in a foot?
12, exactly. The relationship was internationally standardized in 1959 and hasn't changed. So 12 in = 1 ft, 24 in = 2 ft, 60 in = 5 ft, and so on.
How many inches is 5 feet?
5 feet = 60 inches exactly. Multiply any feet value by 12 to get inches. So 5.5 ft = 66 in, 6 ft = 72 in, 8 ft = 96 in.
How tall is 6 feet in inches?
6 feet = 72 inches exactly. About the average height for adult men in the US, and tall enough that you might bump your head on standard 80-inch interior door frames. Other common heights: 5 ft = 60 in, 5'6" = 66 in, 5'10" = 70 in, 6'2" = 74 in.
How do I convert 5 ft 9 in to inches?
Multiply the feet by 12, then add the inches: 5 × 12 = 60, 60 + 9 = 69 inches total. Or convert the entire mixed form to decimal feet first: 5 ft 9 in = 5 + (9/12) = 5.75 ft, then 5.75 × 12 = 69 in. Same answer either way.
What's 10 feet in inches?
10 feet = 120 inches exactly. Useful reference for room dimensions (a 10×12 room is 120×144 inches), shipping containers (10-foot containers are 120 in × 96 in × 96 in), and standard storage units. To convert any feet value to inches in your head, multiply by 10 and add the original — that's the same as multiplying by 11, which is close to 12; you can refine by adding the original number once more to get exact.
Is the foot a US thing or used elsewhere too?
Used in the US, UK, Canada (alongside metric), Liberia, and Myanmar — most of the world is metric. But the international foot is still defined for global compatibility (1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly), and shows up in aviation altitudes worldwide ("cruising at 36,000 feet"), some sports (American football, golf), and a few measurement-of-water-depth contexts.
Is my input saved or sent anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript — nothing is sent to a server, logged, or stored.