How many leagues is 1 chain?

One chain equals approximately 0.004167 leagues (1/240 of an English league). Since 1 league = 3 miles = 240 chains, divide chains by 240 to get leagues.

How many chains are in 1 league?

One English league (3 statute miles) contains exactly 240 chains (80 chains per mile x 3 miles).

Are chains and leagues still used?

The chain survives only in historical property records and cricket (pitch = 1 chain). The league survives only in literature and historical references. Neither is used for new measurements.

Chains to Leagues (ch to lea) Converter

1 ch = 0.0042 lea

1 Chain equals 0.0042 Leagues (1 ch = 0.0042 lea). Convert Chains to Leagues with formula, table, and examples.

One chain equals approximately 0.004167 leagues (English league of 3 miles). Since 80 chains make one mile and 3 miles make one league, 240 chains make one league. Both units are historical English measurements now largely obsolete, but this conversion connects land surveying with literary distance measurement.

How to Convert Chains to Leagues

lea = ch ÷ 240

Divide the value in Chains by 240

Take your value in Chains
Divide by 240
Read the result in Leagues

Common Chains to Leagues Conversions

Chains (ch)	Leagues (lea)	Status
1 ch	0.0042 lea
5 ch	0.0208 lea
10 ch	0.0417 lea
40 ch	0.1667 lea
80 ch	0.3333 lea
100 ch	0.4167 lea
240 ch	1 lea
500 ch	2.0833 lea
1,000 ch	4.1667 lea
5,000 ch	20.8333 lea
10,000 ch	41.6667 lea

Good to Know About Chains to Leagues Conversion

The chain was a precision instrument (100 links, each 7.92 inches). The league was a rough estimate (however far you could walk in an hour). Their pairing shows the contrast between measurement for commerce (precise) and for travel (approximate).

Chains to Leagues: What You Need to Know

One league (3 miles) equals 240 chains. Jules Verne's twenty thousand leagues (60,000 miles) would be about 4.8 million chains. The chain was practical and precise; the league was vague and variable. Their pairing reflects different needs: surveying demanded accuracy while travel distances were roughly estimated.

What is a Chain? ch

Exactly 66 feet or 4 rods (20.1168 m). Invented by Edmund Gunter for land surveying. 80 chains make one mile. Still used in US public land surveys.

Imperial land surveying US public land

Learn more about Chain →

What is a League? lea

Exactly 3 statute miles (4828.032 m). A historical unit of distance, often associated with the distance a person could walk in one hour.

Imperial historical literature

Learn more about League →

Going the other way? Use our Leagues to Chains converter.

Chains to Leagues FAQ

One chain equals approximately 0.004167 leagues (1/240 of an English league). Since 1 league = 3 miles = 240 chains, divide chains by 240 to get leagues.
One English league (3 statute miles) contains exactly 240 chains (80 chains per mile x 3 miles).
The chain survives only in historical property records and cricket (pitch = 1 chain). The league survives only in literature and historical references. Neither is used for new measurements.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Chains to Leagues

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

About 4.8 million chains. Verne's submarine covered about 96,561 km, which is 4.8 million chain-lengths of travel. That is a lot of surveying equipment.