Cross-sectional profile measuring method

A cross-sectional profile measuring method of measuring cross-sectional profiles (Fl, F2, ) of an object (30) at plural measurement sections (S1, S2, ) of the object (30) with a contact probe (17), includes: circularly moving the probe (17) along a route around a circumference of the object (30) at one of the measurement sections (S1, S2, ), a distance of the moving being longer than a measurement range (En) corresponding to the circumference of the object (30) by a predetermined overlapping range consisting of an acceleration range (Ea) and a deceleration range (Ed); and moving the probe (17) to next one of the measurement sections (S1, S2, ) through a transfer range (Em) in a movement direction oblique to a continuous direction (L) in which the cross-sectional profiles (F1, F2, ) are adjacent to one another to offset a distance corresponding to the overlapping range.