One pica is exactly 0.01388888889 feet, so converting picas to feet is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout. Twelve inches, or exactly 0.3048 metres — still standard for human height and aviation altitude in the US.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into feet, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
0.0138888888889- The exact number of feet in one pica
feet- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 0.0138888888889, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in feet, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
An Olympic pool: 1.18e+04 pica in feet
At 1.18e+04 pica (an olympic pool), the same quantity in feet is 1.18e+04 × 0.0138889 = 163.889 ft. One pica is 0.0138889 feet, so the numbers shrink as expected.
A credit card’s long edge: 20.2 pica in feet
A credit card’s long edge comes to about 20.2 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 20.2 × 0.0138889 = 0.280556 ft. Dividing the answer back by 0.0138889 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many feet are in one pica?
Exactly 0.0138888888889. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert picas to feet?
feet = picas × 0.0138888888889. Reversed, picas = feet ÷ 0.0138888888889, which is the same as multiplying by 72.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the foot?
The foot. One pica is only 0.0138889 of a foot, so it takes 72 picas to make one foot.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
What is a foot?
Twelve inches, or exactly 0.3048 metres — still standard for human height and aviation altitude in the US.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pica to ft in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 70 instead of using the exact factor 0.01388888889. At 100 that shortcut gives 1.4285714 feet, off by 0.03968 feet or about 2.86%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Picas to feet reference tables
| Picas | Feet |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 0.00694444 ft |
| 1 pica | 0.0138889 ft |
| 2 pica | 0.0277778 ft |
| 3 pica | 0.0416667 ft |
| 5 pica | 0.0694444 ft |
| 10 pica | 0.138889 ft |
| 20 pica | 0.277778 ft |
| 25 pica | 0.347222 ft |
| 50 pica | 0.694444 ft |
| 75 pica | 1.04167 ft |
| 100 pica | 1.38889 ft |
| 250 pica | 3.47222 ft |
| 500 pica | 6.94444 ft |
| 1000 pica | 13.8889 ft |
| 5000 pica | 69.4444 ft |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 0.0138888888889 feet.
| Quantity | pica | ft |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 0.2808 ft |
| A door height | 480 pica | 6.667 ft |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 164 ft |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 1083 ft |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 1.384e+05 ft |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 4.18e+07 ft |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.