CSS units·55px
55px =
3.4375rem
41.25pt

55 px in rem — 3.4375 rem, 41.25 pt

55 px is 3.4375 rem and 41.25 pt — 0.57292 inches, 14.552 mm, and 343.75% of the root font size.

rem (root 16 px)
3.4375rem
pt (points)
41.25pt
pc (picas)
3.4375pc
percent of root
343.75%
inches
0.57292in
millimetres
14.552mm
centimetres
1.4552cm

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)
52px3.25rem39pt
53px3.3125rem39.75pt
54px3.375rem40.5pt
55px3.4375rem41.25pt
56px3.5rem42pt
57px3.5625rem42.75pt
58px3.625rem43.5pt

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 55 px?

3.4375 rem — that is 55 divided by 16.

Q. How many points is 55 px?

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

Q. What length is that?

0.57292 inches, or 14.552 mm — though a ruler on the screen will not agree.

Q. And as a percentage?

343.75% of the root font size.