How many nautical miles is 1 chain?

One chain equals approximately 0.01087 nautical miles. About 92 chains (91.99) make one nautical mile.

How many chains are in 1 nautical mile?

One nautical mile contains approximately 92 chains (91.99 to be precise). Since 1 NM = 1,852 m and 1 chain = 20.1168 m, divide 1,852 by 20.1168.

Were chains ever used at sea?

No. Chains were strictly a land surveying tool. At sea, distances were measured in nautical miles, cable lengths (1/10 NM), and fathoms (for depth). The two measurement systems coexisted in the British Empire but never mixed.

Chains to Nautical Miles (ch to nmi) Converter

1 ch = 0.0109 nmi

1 Chain equals 0.0109 Nautical Miles (1 ch = 0.0109 nmi). Convert Chains to Nautical Miles with formula, table, and examples.

One chain equals approximately 0.01087 nautical miles. Since 1 chain = 20.1168 m and 1 nautical mile = 1,852 m, the ratio is 20.1168/1852. About 92 chains make one nautical mile. Both units come from the British measurement tradition but serve different domains: chains for land, nautical miles for sea.

How to Convert Chains to Nautical Miles

nmi = ch × 0.010862203

Multiply the value in Chains by 0.010862203

Take your value in Chains
Multiply by 0.010862203
Read the result in Nautical Miles

Common Chains to Nautical Miles Conversions

Chains (ch)	Nautical Miles (nmi)	Status
1 ch	0.0109 nmi
5 ch	0.0543 nmi
10 ch	0.1086 nmi
20 ch	0.2172 nmi
40 ch	0.4345 nmi
80 ch	0.869 nmi
100 ch	1.0862 nmi
200 ch	2.1724 nmi
500 ch	5.4311 nmi
1,000 ch	10.8622 nmi
5,000 ch	54.311 nmi
10,000 ch	108.622 nmi

Good to Know About Chains to Nautical Miles Conversion

The British Empire used chains on land and nautical miles at sea, but never mixed them. A coastal boundary was described in chains landward and nautical miles seaward, with the high-water mark as the dividing line.

Chains to Nautical Miles: What You Need to Know

About 92 chains make one nautical mile. A 12-nautical-mile territorial waters boundary is about 1,106 chains from shore. While both units originated in the British Empire, they were never used together: surveyors stayed on land with chains, sailors stayed at sea with nautical miles.

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

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What is a Nautical Mile? nmi

Exactly 1852 meters by international agreement. Based on one minute of arc of latitude at the Earth's surface. The standard unit for maritime and air navigation.

Nautical maritime navigation aviation international shipping

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Going the other way? Use our Nautical Miles to Chains converter.

Chains to Nautical Miles FAQ

One chain equals approximately 0.01087 nautical miles. About 92 chains (91.99) make one nautical mile.
One nautical mile contains approximately 92 chains (91.99 to be precise). Since 1 NM = 1,852 m and 1 chain = 20.1168 m, divide 1,852 by 20.1168.
No. Chains were strictly a land surveying tool. At sea, distances were measured in nautical miles, cable lengths (1/10 NM), and fathoms (for depth). The two measurement systems coexisted in the British Empire but never mixed.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Chains to Nautical Miles

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

Technically, no. Chains were designed for land. The ocean was measured in nautical miles and fathoms. A chain is about 0.01087 NM - useless for ocean navigation. Dropping a surveyor's chain overboard would measure about 11 fathoms of depth and annoy the captain.
The English Channel at its narrowest (Dover to Calais) is about 18.2 NM or about 1,674 chains. If Gunter tried to measure the Channel with his chain, he would need a very long rope and a very waterproof chain.
Not surveying chains. But anchor chains on ships are measured in 'shackles' of 15 fathoms (90 feet). A shackle is about 1.36 surveying chains. The nautical world had its own chain units and wanted nothing to do with Gunter's.