Understanding furlongs to chains Conversion
The furlong (fur) is an imperial unit of 660 feet, one-eighth of a mile, rooted in medieval field measurement. The chain (ch) is a surveyor's unit of 66 feet, defined by Edmund Gunter's measuring chain and central to the historical layout of land in acres. Both units belong to the traditional English surveying system, and converting between them is common when interpreting old land records and property surveys.
Conversion Formula
To convert furlongs to chains, multiply by this factor:
Step-by-Step Example
Convert 25 furlongs to chains.
How to Convert furlongs to chains
Move between two classic surveying units with a simple factor of ten.
- Take the furlongs: Start with your distance in furlongs.
- Multiply by 10: Each furlong contains exactly ten surveyor's chains.
- State the result: The product is your distance in chains.
- Worked result: 25 fur × 10 = 250 ch.
furlongs to chains conversion table
| furlongs (fur) | chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 40 |
| 5 | 50 |
| 6 | 60 |
| 7 | 70 |
| 8 | 80 |
| 9 | 90 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 15 | 150 |
| 20 | 200 |
| 25 | 250 |
| 30 | 300 |
| 40 | 400 |
| 50 | 500 |
| 60 | 600 |
| 70 | 700 |
| 80 | 800 |
| 90 | 900 |
| 100 | 1000 |
| 150 | 1500 |
| 200 | 2000 |
| 250 | 2500 |
| 300 | 3000 |
| 400 | 4000 |
| 500 | 5000 |
| 600 | 6000 |
| 700 | 7000 |
| 800 | 8000 |
| 900 | 9000 |
| 1000 | 10000 |
| 2000 | 20000 |
| 3000 | 30000 |
| 4000 | 40000 |
| 5000 | 50000 |
| 10000 | 100000 |
| 25000 | 250000 |
| 50000 | 500000 |
| 100000 | 1000000 |
| 250000 | 2500000 |
| 500000 | 5000000 |
| 1000000 | 10000000 |
What is the furlong?
The furlong (fur) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems, equal to one-eighth of a mile, most commonly used today in horse racing.
Definition
One furlong equals 660 feet, or 220 yards, or 40 rods, or 10 chains.
Eight furlongs make one statute mile. This value uses the international foot; the US survey furlong is larger by a factor of 1200/1199.
Origin and History
The name comes from Old English "furh" (furrow) and "lang" (long), meaning the length of a furrow in a ploughed open field. In the medieval English system, a furlong was the distance a team of oxen could plough before resting, standardized as the long side of a one-acre strip (one furlong by one chain). It became a fundamental unit of the English land-measurement system.
Law and Notable Facts
The furlong survives chiefly in horse racing, where race distances are quoted in furlongs (for example, a "six-furlong sprint"). It is also preserved in the definition of the acre and the mile. The whimsical furlong–firkin–fortnight (FFF) system uses it as an example of an intentionally impractical unit of length.
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- 1 furlong = 220 yd = 660 ft = 201.168 m.
- 8 furlongs = 1 statute mile.
- 1 furlong = 10 chains = 40 rods.
- The Kentucky Derby is run over 10 furlongs (1.25 miles).
What is the chain?
The chain (ch) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems, equal to 66 feet, traditionally used in surveying and land measurement.
Definition
One chain equals 66 feet, or 22 yards, or 4 rods.
There are 80 chains in a mile and 10 square chains in an acre. This value uses the international foot; the US survey chain is larger by a factor of 1200/1199, giving about 20.11684 m.
Origin and History
The chain is named for Gunter's chain, a physical measuring device introduced by the English clergyman and mathematician Edmund Gunter around 1620. It consisted of 100 iron links totalling 66 feet, elegantly bridging the traditional (base-4/16.5) and decimal systems: distances could be recorded in decimal links yet still yield whole numbers of acres and miles. It became the standard tool of English and American surveyors for centuries.
Law and Notable Facts
The chain underpins the US Public Land Survey System, in which section lines and township grids were laid out in chains. A cricket pitch measures exactly one chain (22 yards) between the wickets—a lasting everyday trace of the unit. The chain is now largely obsolete outside historical land records and cricket.
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- A cricket pitch is 1 chain = 22 yards = 66 ft long.
- 1 chain = 100 links = 4 rods = 20.1168 m.
- 80 chains = 1 statute mile.
- An acre is 1 chain by 10 chains (10 square chains).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chains are in a furlong?
Exactly 10 chains make up one furlong, since a furlong is 660 feet and a chain is 66 feet.
How do I convert chains back to furlongs?
Divide by 10, or multiply chains by 0.1. So 40 chains equal 4 furlongs.
Why are furlongs and chains related by a factor of ten?
Both were standardized in English surveying so that ten Gunter's chains span one furlong and eighty chains span one mile, giving a tidy decimal link between the two.
Where are chains and furlongs still used together?
They appear in cadastral records, old property deeds, and land surveys in countries with English measurement heritage, where acreage was originally chained out.
What is 3 furlongs in chains?
3 furlongs equal 30 chains, equivalent to 1,980 feet.
People also convert
Complete furlongs conversion table
| Unit | Result |
|---|---|
| Nanometers (nm) | 201168000000 nm |
| Micrometers (μm) | 201168000 μm |
| Millimeters (mm) | 201168 mm |
| Centimeters (cm) | 20116.8 cm |
| Decimeters (dm) | 2011.68 dm |
| Meters (m) | 201.168 m |
| Kilometers (km) | 0.201168 km |
| light-years (ly) | 2.126347e-14 ly |
| astronomical units (au) | 1.344725e-9 au |
| parsecs (pc) | 6.519411e-15 pc |
| ångströms (angstrom) | 2011680000000 angstrom |
| Mils (mil) | 7920000 mil |
| Inches (in) | 7920 in |
| Yards (yd) | 220 yd |
| US Survey Feet (ft-us) | 659.9987 ft-us |
| Feet (ft) | 660 ft |
| Fathoms (fathom) | 110 fathom |
| Miles (mi) | 0.125 mi |
| Nautical Miles (nMi) | 0.108622 nMi |
| chains (ch) | 10 ch |
| rods (rd) | 40 rd |
| hands (hh) | 1980 hh |