How many fathoms are in 1 league?

One English league (3 miles) equals exactly 2,640 fathoms. Since 1 mile = 880 fathoms, multiply by 3.

How many leagues are in 1 fathom?

One fathom equals approximately 0.000379 leagues (1/2,640 of a league).

Are leagues and fathoms still used?

Leagues survive only in literature. Fathoms are being replaced by meters on nautical charts but remain in common maritime language. Neither is used for new measurements.

Leagues to Fathoms (lea to ftm) Converter

1 lea = 2,640 ftm

1 League equals 2,640 Fathoms (1 lea = 2,640 ftm). Convert Leagues to Fathoms with formula, table, and examples.

One English league equals exactly 2,640 fathoms. A league (3 miles / 4,828 m) measures literary distances; a fathom (6 feet / 1.83 m) measures nautical depth. Both are relics of pre-metric traditions that survive in very different niches.

How to Convert Leagues to Fathoms

ftm = lea × 2,640

Multiply the value in Leagues by 2,640

Take your value in Leagues
Multiply by 2,640
Read the result in Fathoms

Common Leagues to Fathoms Conversions

Leagues (lea)	Fathoms (ftm)	Status
0.01 lea	26.4 ftm
0.05 lea	132 ftm
0.1 lea	264 ftm
0.5 lea	1,320 ftm
1 lea	2,640 ftm
2 lea	5,280 ftm
5 lea	13,200 ftm
10 lea	26,400 ftm
50 lea	132,000 ftm
100 lea	264,000 ftm
500 lea	1,320,000 ftm
1,000 lea	2,640,000 ftm
20,000 lea	52,800,000 ftm

Good to Know About Leagues to Fathoms Conversion

The league and fathom are both obsolete but survive in different niches: leagues in literature (Tolkien, Verne), fathoms in nautical tradition. They are measurement Latin: dead languages still quoted in specialized contexts.

Leagues to Fathoms: What You Need to Know

Verne's 20,000 leagues equals about 52.8 million fathoms of horizontal distance. The Mariana Trench at 6,011 fathoms is only 2.276 leagues deep. The league measures how far you sail; the fathom measures how deep the water is beneath you.

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 →

What is a Fathom? ftm

Exactly 6 feet (1.8288 m). Traditionally used to measure water depth in nautical contexts. Originally based on the span of outstretched arms.

Imperial water depth nautical marine charts

Learn more about Fathom →

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

Leagues to Fathoms FAQ

One English league (3 miles) equals exactly 2,640 fathoms. Since 1 mile = 880 fathoms, multiply by 3.
One fathom equals approximately 0.000379 leagues (1/2,640 of a league).
Leagues survive only in literature. Fathoms are being replaced by meters on nautical charts but remain in common maritime language. Neither is used for new measurements.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Leagues to Fathoms

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

No. The 20,000 leagues is horizontal distance traveled, not depth. Nemo's Nautilus operated at roughly 200-800 fathoms. If it were 20,000 leagues deep (52.8 million fathoms), it would have tunneled through the Earth about 7.5 times.
A sperm whale's record dive is about 1,630 fathoms (2,982 m). One league is 2,640 fathoms. So even the deepest-diving mammal falls 1,010 fathoms short of a single league. Whales are impressive but not THAT impressive.
A coin sinks at roughly 1 fathom per second in seawater. At 2,640 fathoms (1 league), it would take about 44 minutes to reach the bottom. You would have forgotten about the coin long before it arrived. The ocean is patient with lost change.