Length Converter
Meters, kilometers, feet, and miles.
How this Length Converter Works
Enter a numeric value, choose the source unit and the target unit, and the converter will compute the equivalent amount using consistent base-unit factors. We use meters as the internal base for most length calculations to keep conversions accurate and predictable.
Length is one of the most intuitive physical quantities, yet unit conversions between systems are essential for accuracy in engineering, navigation, science and daily life. From ancient measures based on body parts and local standards to the modern SI meter defined by the speed of light, length units have evolved to provide a reliable and universal basis for measurement. This converter uses meters as an internal base so conversions between millimetres, metres, kilometres, feet and miles remain consistent.
Practical examples help illustrate why conversions matter: a 5 km run equals 5000 m and roughly 3.107 miles; a building blueprint showing 3000 mm equals 3 m; and a highway sign in miles can be translated for metric users. These straightforward translations are crucial when collaborating across regions and industries with different unit conventions.
Use cases: architects and contractors convert between feet and metres when working with international specifications; GPS and mapping systems use degrees and meters to calculate distances; and scientific experiments demand precise unit handling to avoid scale-related errors. For travel and logistics, converting distances between miles and kilometres ensures correct route planning and fuel estimates.
Tips: preserve significant figures when converting measured values to avoid false precision. For engineering tolerances, round after performing calculations rather than before. When scripting or programming, perform unit conversions in code with a single canonical base unit (meters) to reduce rounding drift.
Examples and references: 1 mile = 1609.344 m; 1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 km = 1000 m. This tool is intended to be a quick, reliable resource for converting distances across domains and is particularly useful when sharing specifications or preparing documentation where unit clarity prevents costly mistakes.
Common Examples
- 1 km → 1000 m
- 1 m → 3.28084 ft (approx)
- 1 mi → 1609.344 m
Practical Tips
- Use the converter for travel distances and navigation planning.
- For engineering or scientific work, keep track of significant figures when copying results.
- Switch between metric and imperial units quickly using the dropdown controls.