Calculate meters from centimeters, or centimeters from meters, in one step. There are 100 centimeters in 1 meter, plus millimeters, inches, and feet.
Centimeters to Meters Formula
A centimeter and a meter are both metric units of length, and there are always 100 centimeters in 1 meter. To convert centimeters to meters, divide by 100:
m = cm / 100
To go the other way, from meters back to centimeters, multiply by 100:
cm = m * 100
Where:
- cm = length in centimeters
- m = length in meters
- 100 = the number of centimeters in one meter
The converter has two modes. In the centimeters to meters mode you enter a value in centimeters and it divides by 100. In the meters to centimeters mode you enter a value in meters and it multiplies by 100. Turning on the more units option also reports the same length in millimeters, kilometers, inches, feet, and yards, and lets you set how many decimal places the results use.
Common Centimeter to Meter Conversions
Because the conversion is just a shift of the decimal point by two places, the values follow a clean pattern. Use this table for quick reference or to check the calculator.
| Centimeters | Meters |
|---|---|
| 1 cm | 0.01 m |
| 10 cm | 0.1 m |
| 50 cm | 0.5 m |
| 100 cm | 1 m |
| 250 cm | 2.5 m |
| 1000 cm | 10 m |
One meter also lines up with these other length units, which the calculator can show when you turn on more units.
| Unit | Value of 1 Meter |
|---|---|
| Centimeters | 100 cm |
| Millimeters | 1,000 mm |
| Inches | 39.37 in |
| Feet | 3.281 ft |
| Yards | 1.094 yd |
Example Problems
Example 1: Centimeters to meters. A table is 180 centimeters long and you want its length in meters. Divide by 100: 180 / 100 = 1.8 meters.
Example 2: Meters to centimeters. A room is 4.25 meters wide. Multiply by 100: 4.25 x 100 = 425 centimeters.
FAQ
How many centimeters are in a meter? There are exactly 100 centimeters in 1 meter. This is a fixed definition in the metric system, so the number never changes.
How do you convert centimeters to meters? Divide the number of centimeters by 100. For example, 320 centimeters equals 320 / 100 = 3.2 meters. To reverse it, multiply the meters by 100 to get centimeters.
Is converting cm to m the same as moving the decimal point? Yes. Dividing by 100 moves the decimal point two places to the left, so 256 cm becomes 2.56 m. Multiplying by 100 moves it two places to the right for the reverse conversion.
