Kilometers to Centimeters Converter

About the km to cm calculation

One kilometer is exactly 100,000 centimeters, so converting between them is a single multiplication. Enter any value above and the result updates as you type. The standard road-distance unit in most of the world. How height and clothing sizes are quoted almost everywhere outside the US.

Formula

cm = km × 100,000

1 km = 100,000 cm
1 cm = 0.00001 km

Worked example

To convert 10 km, multiply by 100,000: 10 × 100,000 = 1,000,000 cm.

Frequently asked questions

How many centimeters are in a kilometer?

There are 100,000 centimeters in one kilometer. To convert any amount, multiply the number of kilometers by 100,000.

How do I convert centimeters back to kilometers?

Divide instead of multiplying, or equivalently multiply by 0.00001. One centimeter is 0.00001 kilometers.

Is this conversion exact?

Yes. Since the international agreement of 1959, the relationship between kilometers and centimeters is defined exactly rather than measured, so the only rounding here is in how many decimal places we show.

Where is each of these units used?

Kilometers: the standard road-distance unit in most of the world. Centimeters: how height and clothing sizes are quoted almost everywhere outside the US.

Sources

• NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units