# Chains to Feet (ch to ft)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-feet/

**1 ch = 66 ft**

One chain equals exactly 66 feet. This is the defining relationship of Gunter's chain, established around 1620 for land surveying. The 66-foot length was deliberately chosen so that 10 square chains equal exactly 1 acre, making area calculations trivially simple for surveyors.

## Formula

Convert Chains to Feet

## Conversion Table

| Chains (ch) | Feet (ft) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 ch | 6.6 ft |
| 0.25 ch | 16.5 ft |
| 0.5 ch | 33 ft |
| 1 ch | 66 ft |
| 2 ch | 132 ft |
| 5 ch | 330 ft |
| 10 ch | 660 ft |
| 20 ch | 1320 ft |
| 40 ch | 2640 ft |
| 80 ch | 5280 ft |
| 100 ch | 6600 ft |
| 200 ch | 13200 ft |
| 500 ch | 33000 ft |
| 1000 ch | 66000 ft |

## Units

### 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.

### Foot (ft)

An imperial unit of length equal to 12 inches or 0.3048 meters. Used in the US and UK for height, altitude, and construction.

## Background

A cricket pitch is 1 chain (66 feet). One furlong is 10 chains (660 feet). One mile is 80 chains (5,280 feet). The chain's 66-foot length seems arbitrary until you realize the elegance: 1 chain x 1 furlong = 1 acre. This mathematical convenience made it the standard surveying tool for over 200 years.

## Good to Know

The chain-to-feet relationship reveals the hidden logic of the imperial system. While 66 feet seems random, it creates the elegant chain-furlong-acre relationship that made English land surveying efficient for centuries before metrication.

## FAQ

### How many feet are in 1 chain?

One chain equals exactly 66 feet. This has been the standard definition since Edmund Gunter introduced the chain around 1620.

### Why is a chain 66 feet?

Gunter chose 66 feet so that area calculations would be simple: 1 chain (66 feet) times 1 furlong (660 feet) equals 43,560 square feet, which is exactly 1 acre. The entire English land measurement system was built around this elegant relationship.

### How do I convert chains to feet?

Multiply the number of chains by 66. For example, 4 chains = 264 feet. Since 1 chain = 4 rods and 1 rod = 16.5 feet, you can also multiply rods by 16.5.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many paces is a chain?

A chain is 66 feet. A normal walking pace is about 2.5 feet. So a chain is about 26 paces. Surveyors could roughly verify a chain measurement by counting about 26 steps. Not exact, but a useful sanity check in the field.

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## See Also

- [Feet to Chains](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/feet-to-chains/)