1 Meter to Feet: 1 m = 3.28 ft

1 Meter to Feet

1 meter to feet: 1 meter equals 3.28 feet. More precisely, it’s 3.28084 feet, or 3 feet 3.37 inches.

For background on the unit itself, see the metre entry on Wikipedia.

The meter is the base unit of length in the metric system, and the foot is the everyday unit in the US and UK. If you’re comparing room sizes, ceiling heights or sports distances between the two systems, this is the number you need.

The Meters to Feet Formula

feet = meters × 3.28084

1 × 3.28084 = 3.28 ft

An alternative route is through inches. One meter is 39.37 inches, and dividing by 12 gives 3.28 feet. The same figure, seen two ways.

Table: Meters in Feet

How the Meter Is Defined

Today the meter is defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. That definition fixes the length exactly, so it is stable everywhere in the universe. The foot is then defined from the meter: exactly 0.3048 m, which is why the math is so consistent.

A Meter Versus a Yard

Many people think of a meter as about a yard, and it’s a decent approximation. A yard is 36 inches, while a meter is 39.37 inches, so a meter is roughly 3.4 inches longer. Over a short distance you’d hardly notice, but over 100 m it adds up to more than 9 yards of difference.

Everyday Distances of About 1 Meter

• A doorway width: Interior doors are usually 80 to 90 cm wide, just under a meter.
• A kitchen counter: Counters are commonly around 90 to 92 cm high, roughly 3 feet.
• A long stride: A brisk walking step is about 75 to 80 cm, so a meter is a long stride.
• A guitar: A full-size acoustic guitar is close to 1 meter in length.

A Quick Mental Shortcut

Take the meters, multiply by 3, then add about 10%. For 1 meter, that gives 3 + 0.3 = 3.3 ft. This works for larger values too: 10 m gives 30 + 3 = 33 ft, against an exact 32.81 ft.

Converting Feet Back to Meters

Multiply feet by 0.3048. 3.28 × 0.3048 returns about 1 meter. For nearby sizes, see how big 2 meters and 3 meters are, or read our comparison of feet vs meters. The explainer on the meter covers its history.

1 meter to feet in Construction and Sport

Builders in metric countries and in the US often exchange drawings, so 1 meter to feet is a constant conversion. A wall that is 3 meters long is 9.84 feet, which is close enough to 10 feet to trip up anyone who rounds too early. Materials priced per foot can be compared with materials priced per meter only once both are in the same unit.

Sport uses it too. A running track lap is 400 meters, or about 1,312 feet, and a 25 meter pool lane is 82 feet long. Knowing 1 meter to feet as 3.28 makes those figures easy to picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many feet are in 1 meter?

There are 3.28 feet in 1 meter, or 3.28084 to five decimal places.

How many inches is 1 meter?

1 meter is 39.37 inches.

Is a meter longer than a yard?

Yes. A meter is about 3.37 inches longer than a yard.

How many feet is 100 meters?

100 meters is 328.08 feet, or 109.36 yards.