12 inches in cm

30.48 cm

12 in = 30.48 cm = 304.8 mm = 0.3048 m

Working: 12 × 2.54 = 30.48

12 inches is 30.48 centimetres, or 304.8 millimetres.

The conversion is exact rather than approximate: since 1959 the international inch has been defined as precisely 2.54 centimetres, so multiplying by 2.54 gives an exact answer with no rounding error. 12 × 2.54 = 30.48 cm. To go back the other way, divide by 2.54; for millimetres, multiply the inches by 25.4 instead.

Metric trades work in millimetres rather than centimetres, and 12 inches is 304.8 mm — the figure a drawing or a parts list would actually carry. The nearest whole centimetre is 30, 0.48 cm away. That is exactly 1 foot.

Twelve inches is one foot, which makes this the conversion that anchors the entire imperial length system to the metric one: 12 × 2.54 gives exactly 30.48 cm. That is why a foot is 30.48 cm and not the round 30 that mental arithmetic wants it to be.

Nearby lengths

Inches	Centimetres
3 in	7.62 cm
4 in	10.16 cm
5 in	12.7 cm
6 in	15.24 cm
8 in	20.32 cm
10 in	25.4 cm
15 in	38.1 cm
18 in	45.72 cm

Try another value

From

3.2808ft

All units

Millimeters1,000 mm

Centimeters100 cm

Meters1 m

Kilometers0.001 km

Inches39.3701 in

Feet3.2808 ft

Yards1.0936 yd

Miles0.00062137 mi

Nautical miles0.00053996 nmi

Frequently asked questions

How many cm is 12 inches?

12 inches is 30.48 cm. Multiply the number of inches by 2.54 to convert to centimetres.

Is the inch to cm conversion exact?

Yes. The international inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 centimetres since 1959, so the conversion introduces no rounding error.

For any other value, use the full Length Converter on BrainVert.