Length Converter
Convert between millimetres, centimetres, metres, kilometres, inches, feet, yards, and miles instantly. Three calculator tiers: Quick, Extended with scale comparison and multi-unit, and Professional with geodetic and astronomical units.
How to Use This Converter
Select the unit you want to convert from in the left dropdown, then select the unit you want to convert to in the right dropdown. Type a value in either field — the other updates automatically. Use the ⇄ button to swap the two units.
South Africa uses the metric system, so metres, kilometres, and centimetres are the standard units. Imperial units (feet, inches, miles) are still commonly encountered in older blueprints, imported goods, and communication with countries like the USA and UK.
Length Conversion Table
| Unit | In Metres |
|---|---|
| 1 Millimetre (mm) | 0.001 m |
| 1 Centimetre (cm) | 0.01 m |
| 1 Metre (m) | 1 m |
| 1 Kilometre (km) | 1 000 m |
| 1 Inch (in) | 0.0254 m |
| 1 Foot (ft) | 0.3048 m |
| 1 Yard (yd) | 0.9144 m |
| 1 Mile (mi) | 1 609.344 m |
Metric (Scientific) Units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Picometre (pm) | 1.0000e+15 |
| Nanometre (nm) | 999 999 999 999,9999 |
| Micrometre (µm) | 1 000 000 000 |
| Megametre (Mm) | 0,001 |
Metric Units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Millimetre (mm) | 1 000 000 |
| Centimetre (cm) | 100 000 |
| Decimetre (dm) | 10 000 |
| Metre (m) | 1 000 |
| Kilometre (km) | 1 |
Imperial Units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Thou (thou) | 39 370 078,740157 |
| Inch (in) | 39 370,07874 |
| Foot (ft) | 3 280,839895 |
| Yard (yd) | 1 093,613298 |
| Chain (ch) | 49,709695 |
| Furlong (fur) | 4,97097 |
| Mile (mi) | 0,621371 |
| League | 0,207124 |
Nautical Units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Fathom (ftm) | 546,806649 |
| Nautical Mile (nmi) | 0,539957 |
Astronomical Units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Astronomical Unit (AU) | 6.6845e-9 |
| Light-year (ly) | 1.0570e-13 |
| Parsec (pc) | 3.2404e-14 |
| Light-second | 3.3356e-6 |
| Light-minute | 5.5594e-8 |
Geodetic Equivalents (SA latitude ~26°S)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Degrees of Latitude | 0,008983° |
| Degrees of Longitude (at 26°S) | 0,009995° |
| Arc-minutes | 0,538987' |
| Arc-seconds | 32,339202" |
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Use This Converter
Select the unit you want to convert from in the left dropdown, then select the unit you want to convert to in the right dropdown. Type a value in either field — the other updates automatically. Use the ⇄ button to swap the two units.
South Africa uses the metric system, so metres, kilometres, and centimetres are the standard units. Imperial units (feet, inches, miles) are still commonly encountered in older blueprints, imported goods, and communication with countries like the USA and UK.
Length Conversion Table
| Unit | In Metres |
|---|---|
| 1 Millimetre (mm) | 0.001 m |
| 1 Centimetre (cm) | 0.01 m |
| 1 Metre (m) | 1 m |
| 1 Kilometre (km) | 1 000 m |
| 1 Inch (in) | 0.0254 m |
| 1 Foot (ft) | 0.3048 m |
| 1 Yard (yd) | 0.9144 m |
| 1 Mile (mi) | 1 609.344 m |
Common Conversions
1 km = 0.6214 miles (useful for road distances when travelling abroad)
1 inch = 2.54 cm (screen sizes, paper sizes, plumbing)
1 foot = 30.48 cm (height, room dimensions)
1 metre = 3.281 feet
100 km = 62.14 miles