Length Unit Converter
Convert between meters, feet, inches, kilometers, miles, yards, centimeters, millimeters and 20+ other length units instantly.
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Common Length Conversions
1 meter
3.28084 feet
1 kilometer
0.621371 miles
1 inch
2.54 centimeters
1 yard
0.9144 meters
1 mile
1.60934 kilometers
Recent Conversions
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Length Measurement Systems
Metric System
- Kilometer (km): 1,000 meters
- Meter (m): Base unit of length
- Centimeter (cm): 0.01 meters
- Millimeter (mm): 0.001 meters
- Micrometer (μm): 0.000001 meters
- Nanometer (nm): 0.000000001 meters
Imperial/US Customary
- Mile (mi): 5,280 feet
- Furlong: 660 feet
- Chain: 66 feet
- Rod: 16.5 feet
- Yard (yd): 3 feet
- Foot (ft): 12 inches
- Inch (in): Base unit
Other Units
- Nautical Mile: 1,852 meters (navigation)
- Fathom: 6 feet (water depth)
- Hand: 4 inches (horse height)
- Span: 9 inches
- Cubit: 18 inches (ancient)
- Angstrom (Å): 0.1 nanometers (atomic scale)
About Length Measurement
Length measurement is fundamental to science, engineering, and daily life. Different systems have evolved throughout history:
Metric System
The metric system, based on the meter, is the international standard (SI). Originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the equator to the North Pole, it's now defined by the speed of light.
Imperial System
The imperial system, used primarily in the United States, has roots in ancient Roman and Anglo-Saxon units. The foot was based on human anatomy, while the yard was historically the distance from a king's nose to his outstretched thumb.
Conversion Tips
- For quick estimates: 1 meter ≈ 3.28 feet, 1 kilometer ≈ 0.6 miles
- Remember: 12 inches = 1 foot, 3 feet = 1 yard, 1760 yards = 1 mile
- For scientific work, always use metric units for consistency