Celsius to Fahrenheit formula
Water freezes at 0 °C and boils at about 100 °C at sea level. 0 °C = 273.15 K exactly.
Celsius to Fahrenheit chart
| Degrees Celsius (°C) | Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|---|
| -40 | -40 |
| -20 | -4 |
| -10 | 14 |
| 0 | 32 |
| 5 | 41 |
| 10 | 50 |
| 15 | 59 |
| 20 | 68 |
| 25 | 77 |
| 30 | 86 |
| 35 | 95 |
| 37 | 98.6 |
| 40 | 104 |
| 50 | 122 |
| 60 | 140 |
| 100 | 212 |
| 120 | 248 |
| 140 | 284 |
| 150 | 302 |
| 160 | 320 |
| 170 | 338 |
| 180 | 356 |
| 190 | 374 |
| 200 | 392 |
| 220 | 428 |
| 230 | 446 |
| 250 | 482 |
Values are rounded to 4 decimal places. The converter above shows more precision.
Worked examples
A recipe that says 180 °C
°F = 180 × 9/5 + 32 = 356
180 degrees Celsius = 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Most American ovens are marked in 25-degree steps, so set the dial to 350 °F, the standard US temperature for cakes.
Normal body temperature, 37 °C
°F = 37 × 9/5 + 32 = 98.6
37 degrees Celsius = 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the familiar 98.6 °F. A healthy reading can sit a little above or below this, depending on the person, the time of day and where it is measured.
Converting degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit in real life
The US still uses Fahrenheit for weather, cooking and fever checks, so you need this conversion when you bake from a European recipe in an American oven, or read a weather forecast for a trip.
Oven settings are rounded in practice. A UK recipe at 180 °C is 356 °F, but American ovens are usually set in steps of 25 °F, so cooks use 350 °F. In the same way, 200 °C is used as 400 °F and 220 °C as 425 °F. If a UK recipe says “fan”, it is already about 20 °C lower than a conventional oven setting.
For a quick estimate, double the Celsius and add 30. It is exact at 10 °C and drifts as you move away: 30 °C gives 90 instead of 86 °F. The scales meet at −40, where −40 °C equals −40 °F.