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42 cm to Inches

42 centimeters equals 16.5354 inches — about 16 9/16″ on a tape measure, or 1 ft 4.5 in.

Conversion factor
1 cm = 0.393700787402 in
Feet and inches
1 ft 4.5 in
Millimeters
420 mm
42 cm =16.5354 in16.5354 inches

Show the work

  1. in = cm × 0.393700787402
  2. 42 × 0.393700787402 = 16.5354 in
  3. Equivalently, because 1 in is exactly 2.54 cm: 42 ÷ 2.54 = 16.5354 in
Centimeter to inch conversion table
cminft & in
10.39370.4 in
20.78740.8 in
31.18111.2 in
41.57481.6 in
51.96852 in
103.9373.9 in
155.90555.9 in
207.8747.9 in
259.84259.8 in
3011.81111.8 in
4015.7481 ft 3.7 in
5019.6851 ft 7.7 in
6023.6221 ft 11.6 in
7027.55912 ft 3.6 in
7529.52762 ft 5.5 in
8031.49612 ft 7.5 in
9035.43312 ft 11.4 in
10039.37013 ft 3.4 in
12047.24413 ft 11.2 in
14055.11814 ft 7.1 in
15059.05514 ft 11.1 in
15561.02365 ft 1 in
16062.99215 ft 3 in
16564.96065 ft 5 in
17066.92915 ft 6.9 in
17568.89765 ft 8.9 in
18070.86615 ft 10.9 in
18572.83466 ft 0.8 in
19074.80316 ft 2.8 in
19576.77176 ft 4.8 in
20078.74026 ft 6.7 in

42 cm at a glance

Inches
16.5354 in
Nearest 1/16 in
16 9/16 in
Nearest 1/8 in
16 1/2 in
Feet & inches
1 ft 4.5 in
Millimeters
420 mm
Meters
0.42 m

How to convert 42 cm to inches

inches = cm ÷ 2.54
42 ÷ 2.54 = 16.535433 in

The inch has been defined as exactly 2.54 cm since 1959, so dividing by 2.54 is exact; the long decimal is just what that division produces. Multiplying by 0.3937 gives the same answer to four places.

Quick estimate

Multiply by 4 and divide by 10: 42 × 0.4 = 16.8 in. That overshoots by 0.26 in (about 1.6%) — fine for a rough check, but noticeable on longer lengths.

Reading 42 cm on an inch tape measure

US rulers mark fractions of an inch rather than decimals. Here is 16.5354 in rounded to each common mark, with the error that rounding introduces:

PrecisionTape-measure readingError
1/2 in16 1/2 in−0.90 mm
1/4 in16 1/2 in−0.90 mm
1/8 in16 1/2 in−0.90 mm
1/16 in16 9/16 in+0.69 mm
1/32 in16 17/32 in−0.11 mm
42 cm = 16.54 in051015202530354045024681012141618cmin
42 cm = 16.54 in on a dual-scale ruler: centimeters along the top edge, inches along the bottom.

Things about 42 cm long

  • 10% longer than the height of a bowling pin, 38.1 cm (15 in).
  • 16% shorter than the length of a typical newborn baby, 50 cm (19.69 in).
  • 25% shorter than the 22-inch carry-on length limit on most US airlines, 55.88 cm (22 in).
  • Carry-on bags. Most US airlines limit carry-ons to 22 × 14 × 9 in, about 56 × 36 × 23 cm, so 42 cm fits only along the longest side.

Centimeters near 42 cm

CentimetersInchesNearest 1/16 in
37 cm14.5669 in14 9/16 in
38 cm14.9606 in14 15/16 in
39 cm15.3543 in15 3/8 in
40 cm15.748 in15 3/4 in
41 cm16.1417 in16 1/8 in
42 cm16.5354 in16 9/16 in
43 cm16.9291 in16 15/16 in
44 cm17.3228 in17 5/16 in
45 cm17.7165 in17 11/16 in
46 cm18.1102 in18 1/8 in
47 cm18.5039 in18 1/2 in

Going the other way: 17 inches to cm is exactly 43.18 cm.

Frequently asked questions

How many inches is 42 cm?

42 cm is 16.54 inches (16.5354 to four places), found by dividing 42 by 2.54.

What is 42 cm in inches as a fraction?

To the nearest sixteenth, 42 cm is 16 9/16 in; to the nearest eighth it is 16 1/2 in.

What is 42 cm in feet and inches?

42 cm = 16.54 in = 1 ft 4.5 in.

How do I convert 42 cm to inches without a calculator?

Multiply by 0.4 for a quick estimate (16.8 in), then shave off about 1.6% to get close to the exact 16.54 in.

Need a different value? Use the CM to inches converter, or browse the CM to inches chart.