CSS units·40px
40px =
2.5rem
30pt

40 px in rem — 2.5 rem, 30 pt

40 px is 2.5 rem and 30 pt — 0.41667 inches, 10.583 mm, and 250% of the root font size.

rem (root 16 px)
2.5rem
pt (points)
30pt · exact
pc (picas)
2.5pc
percent of root
250%
inches
0.41667in
millimetres
10.583mm
centimetres
1.0583cm

Why rem divides by 16

Because browsers default the root font size to 16 px, and rem is a multiple of it. When a reader enlarges text in their browser settings, only the parts written in rem grow — anything pinned in px stays put.

Nearby sizes

pxrem (root 16 px)pt (points)
37px2.3125rem27.75pt
38px2.375rem28.5pt
39px2.4375rem29.25pt
40px2.5rem30pt
41px2.5625rem30.75pt
42px2.625rem31.5pt
43px2.6875rem32.25pt

On screen, pt and inches are still pixels

CSS fixes one inch at 96 px and one point at 1/72 inch. So 16 px is exactly 12 pt — but hold a ruler to the screen and that "inch" will not measure an inch.

Sizes you meet most

Body text at 16, small text at 14, spacing at 8, 24 and 32 — the values that keep coming back.

How to read this

  • rem = px ÷ 16, because browsers default the root font size to 16 px.
  • pt = px × 0.75, since CSS fixes an inch at 96 px and a point at 1/72 inch.
  • One pc is 12 pt, and one inch is both 96 px and 72 pt.
  • Use rem for text and spacing; keep px for hairlines such as borders.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How many rem is 40 px?

2.5 rem — that is 40 divided by 16.

Q. How many points is 40 px?

30 pt. A point is 1/72 inch and an inch is 96 px, so you multiply by 0.75.

Q. What length is that?

0.41667 inches, or 10.583 mm — though a ruler on the screen will not agree.

Q. And as a percentage?

250% of the root font size.