Altitude Converter

An altitude converter (also called an elevation converter) switches height above a reference — usually mean sea level — between meters (m), feet (ft), kilometers (km), and miles (mi). Aviation briefings, hiking apps, GIS layers, and geography textbooks mix units by region; this free tool gives instant altitude unit conversion locally in your browser.

The US and UK aviation communities often quote feet MSL (above mean sea level). Many countries, mountaineering references, and scientific datasets use meters. When a chart says runway elevation 1,234 ft and your GPS shows meters, or a summit is listed at 8,849 m and you think in feet, a single feet to meters altitude lookup saves arithmetic errors.

The standard altitude conversion formula uses meters as the SI base. Factors are exact by international definition:

1 ft = 0.3048 m  ·  1 m = 3.28084 ft  ·  1 mi = 1,609.344 m  ·  1 km = 1,000 m

To convert feet to meters altitude, multiply feet by 0.3048. To convert meters to feet altitude, multiply meters by 3.28084 (or divide by 0.3048). Searches like ft to m elevation, convert elevation feet to meters, and feet above sea level to meters all use the same 0.3048 factor.

For large vertical spans — plateau height or aircraft cruise — kilometers and miles appear in summaries: 1 km = 3,280.84 ft · 1 mi ≈ 1.609 km of elevation (same length units, applied vertically).

This altitude conversion table doubles as a quick elevation conversion chart for common references. Round values are approximate where noted.

• Sea level — 0 m · 0 ft
• Denver (city) — ~1,609 m · ~5,280 ft (mile-high)
• Mount Fuji summit — 3,776 m · 12,389 ft
• Kilimanjaro summit — 5,895 m · 19,341 ft
• Mount Everest summit — 8,849 m · 29,032 ft
• 10,000 ft — 3,048 m · common GA cruise / oxygen threshold reference
• FL350 (flight level 350) — 35,000 ft · ~10,668 m · jet cruise (pressurized)
• Commercial aircraft ceiling — ~12,000–13,000 m · ~39,000–43,000 ft (type dependent)

Flight level is altitude in hundreds of feet on a standard pressure setting — FL350 means about 35,000 ft geometrically in ISA conditions. Enter 35,000 ft in this altitude converter to read meters; it does not apply local QNH or temperature corrections for true pressure altitude.

In everyday language, altitude often means height above sea level (especially in aviation), while elevation describes terrain height on maps. For unit conversion, both are lengths — the same ft ↔ m formulas apply.

This page converts geometric height units only. It does not compute:

• Pressure altitude from barometer readings (needs altimeter setting / ISA model)
• Density altitude (temperature and humidity affect aircraft performance)
• AGL (above ground level) unless you already know terrain elevation to subtract
• Horizontal distance — use the Length & Distance Converter for road or map miles vs km

Barometric pressure vs height relationships live under atmospheric physics — see the Pressure Converter for PSI, hPa, and bar units, not height directly.

Aviation: US FAA charts and ATC often use feet; many ICAO states transition to meters for altitudes and transition levels. Converting 10,000 ft to meters (3,048 m) helps when comparing US sectional charts with metric terminal area briefings. Always confirm the unit printed on the chart — never assume.

Hiking & mountaineering: European and Asian peak lists use meters; US fourteeners and trail signs often use feet. A mountain height converter lets you compare summits: 4,000 m ≈ 13,123 ft.

GIS & surveying: DEM tiles may store elevations in meters while client specs demand feet. Batch values paste cleanly into this tool one at a time for spot checks.

Drone & UAS limits: Regulatory caps (e.g. 400 ft AGL in many jurisdictions) convert to ~122 m — enter 400 ft → m for quick compliance cross-checks against metric rule text.

10,000 ft altitude to meters: 10,000 × 0.3048 = 3,048 m

5,000 m to feet: 5,000 × 3.28084 = 16,404 ft

1,500 m elevation in feet: 1,500 × 3.28084 = 4,921 ft — typical high-alpine trail pass.

8,849 m (Everest) to feet: 8,849 × 3.28084 = 29,032 ft

2 mi elevation to meters: 2 × 1,609.344 = 3,219 m

Use the interactive converter above for any value — these match the exact altitude conversion formula factors.

Conversions use the international foot (0.3048 m exactly) and the statute mile (1,609.344 m). They do not depend on which vertical datum (EGM96, WGS84 orthometric vs ellipsoidal) your map uses — a quoted summit height of 8,849 m and 29,032 ft refer to the same physical length once the source number is fixed.

If two databases disagree on Everest's height by a meter, that is a survey definition difference, not a unit conversion error. This tool performs one job: express the same altitude in m, ft, km, or mi — privately, instantly, and entirely in your browser.