2 inches in cm
2 in = 5.08 cm = 50.8 mm = 0.0508 m
Working: 2 × 2.54 = 5.08
2 inches is 5.08 centimetres, or 50.8 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. 2 × 2.54 = 5.08 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 2 inches is 50.8 mm — the figure a drawing or a parts list would actually carry. The nearest whole centimetre is 5, 0.08 cm away.
Two inches is a common thickness for insulation board, timber, and mattress toppers, all of which are sold by nominal inch sizes in the US and by millimetres in Europe. The metric equivalent, 50.8 mm, is why European products in the same category are made at a round 50 mm and do not quite interchange.
Nearby lengths
Try another value
Frequently asked questions
How many cm is 2 inches?
2 inches is 5.08 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.
Related conversions
- 6 foot 2 in cm
- 6 foot 3 in cm
- 6 foot 4 in cm
- 6 foot 5 in cm
- 6 foot 6 in cm
- 1 inches in cm
- 3 inches in cm
- 4 inches in cm
- 5 inches in cm
- 6 inches in cm
- 8 inches in cm
- 10 inches in cm
For any other value, use the full Length Converter on BrainVert.