170 centimeters is 5 ft 6.9 in. The exact arithmetic is 170 × 0.03280839895 = 5.57742782152 feet, using the defined factor rather than a rounded one, so this matches what a calibrated instrument would give you.
At 170 cm — 1.7 m — a BMI of 18.5 to 25, the band the WHO calls healthy, runs from 53.5 to 72.2 kg (118 to 159 lb). BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, so those figures come straight from the height on this page rather than from a chart.
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 30 instead of using the exact factor 0.03280839895. At 170 that shortcut gives 5.6666667 feet, off by 0.08924 feet or about 1.60%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
The formula
170 cm- The quantity being converted
0.03280839895- Exact feet in one centimeter
5.577427822 ft- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Take the centimeter value, 170.
- Scale it by 0.03280839895 — that is how many feet fit in a single centimeter.
- That gives 5.57742782152 feet, or 5 ft 6.9 in.
- The reverse works the same way with division: 5.577427822 ft ÷ 0.03280839895 = 170 cm.
Worked examples
The conversion itself
Because this is a straight proportion, 170 cm × 0.03280839895 = 5.57742782152 ft (5 ft 6.9 in) — no offset, no second term, nothing else to account for.
Checking it backwards
Run it in reverse — 5.577427822 ft ÷ 0.03280839895 = 170 cm. Matching the input you started from is the proof the direction is right.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
What is 170 centimeters in feet and inches?
It comes to 5 ft 6.9 in. The unrounded figure is 5.57742782152 feet, if you need to carry it forward.
How do you convert centimeters to feet?
One step: multiply the centimeter figure by 0.03280839895. Here that is 170 × 0.03280839895 = 5.577427822 feet.
What is 5.577427822 feet back in centimeters?
170 centimeters. Dividing by 0.03280839895 undoes the conversion exactly.
What does 170 cm actually look like?
At 170 cm — 1.7 m — a BMI of 18.5 to 25, the band the WHO calls healthy, runs from 53.5 to 72.2 kg (118 to 159 lb). BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, so those figures come straight from the height on this page rather than from a chart. The table lower down places it beside its neighbours so you can see where it sits.
What is a centimeter?
One hundredth of a metre, and the everyday metric unit for body measurements and paper sizes.
What is a foot?
Twelve inches, or exactly 0.3048 metres — still standard for human height and aviation altitude in the US.
170 cm in feet — nearby values
| Centimeters | Feet | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 164 cm | 5 ft 4.6 in | 5.380577428 |
| 165 cm | 5 ft 5 in | 5.413385827 |
| 166 cm | 5 ft 5.4 in | 5.446194226 |
| 167 cm | 5 ft 5.7 in | 5.479002625 |
| 168 cm | 5 ft 6.1 in | 5.511811024 |
| 169 cm | 5 ft 6.5 in | 5.544619423 |
| 170 cm | 5 ft 6.9 in | 5.577427822 |
| 171 cm | 5 ft 7.3 in | 5.61023622 |
| 172 cm | 5 ft 7.7 in | 5.643044619 |
| 173 cm | 5 ft 8.1 in | 5.675853018 |
| 174 cm | 5 ft 8.5 in | 5.708661417 |
| 175 cm | 5 ft 8.9 in | 5.741469816 |
| 176 cm | 5 ft 9.3 in | 5.774278215 |
Exact factor: 1 centimeter = 0.0328083989501 feet. The row for 170 cm is the value this page is about.