Why we have 12 inches in a foot?

A foot is divided into 12 inches, a pattern that goes back to ancient measurement systems long before the metric system. Instead of basing everything on 10, many cultures favored the number 12.

Why ancient systems used 12

The number 12 has practical advantages:

• It can be divided evenly by 2, 3, 4, and 6
• It worked well for trade, construction, and everyday counting
• Some historians believe people counted finger segments using one hand to reach 12

The Romans later standardized a foot as 12 smaller parts, which became the inches we still use today.

Why 12 inches per foot survived

Even after the metric system introduced centimeters and meters, feet and inches remained common in:

• Construction and carpentry
• Real estate and room measurements
• DIY and home improvement projects

As a result, many countries, especially the United States, still rely on feet and inches for everyday measurements.

Want to convert feet and inches to meters or centimeters? Try our feet converter.