# Decimeters to Chains (dm to ch)

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

**1 dm = 0.0049709695378987 ch**

One decimeter equals approximately 0.004971 chains, or about 1/201 of a chain. Conversely, one chain (66 feet / 20.1168 m) contains about 201.168 decimeters. This conversion connects the metric sub-unit used for volume calculations with the historical English land surveying unit.

## Formula

Convert Decimeters to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Decimeters (dm) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 1 dm | 0.0049709695378987 ch |
| 5 dm | 0.024854847689493 ch |
| 10 dm | 0.049709695378987 ch |
| 50 dm | 0.24854847689493 ch |
| 100 dm | 0.49709695378987 ch |
| 201 dm | 0.99916487711763 ch |
| 500 dm | 2.4854847689493 ch |
| 1000 dm | 4.9709695378987 ch |
| 5000 dm | 24.854847689493 ch |
| 10000 dm | 49.709695378987 ch |
| 50000 dm | 248.54847689493 ch |

## Units

### Decimeter (dm)

One tenth of a meter, or 10 centimeters. Used in some European countries for everyday measurements and in education.

### 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.

## Background

A cricket pitch (1 chain) is 201.168 decimeters long. A liter bottle at about 1 dm tall would need to be stacked about 201 times to span one chain. When digitizing old English property records into metric systems, converting chains through meters and decimeters is sometimes necessary for database compatibility.

## Good to Know

The decimeter exists mainly to define the liter. The chain existed mainly to define the acre. Both are units whose primary value comes from their derived products rather than their direct linear measurement.

## FAQ

### How many chains is 1 decimeter?

One decimeter equals approximately 0.004971 chains (about 1/201 of a chain). Since 1 chain = 20.1168 m = 201.168 dm, divide 1 by 201.168.

### How many decimeters are in 1 chain?

One chain contains exactly 201.168 decimeters. Since 1 chain = 20.1168 meters and 1 meter = 10 decimeters, multiply 20.1168 by 10.

### Is this conversion practical?

Rarely. If you need to convert chains to metric, meters are the natural target unit, not decimeters. This conversion exists mainly for completeness.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many liters of water fit along a chain?

A chain is about 201 dm. A liter bottle is about 1 dm wide. So about 201 liter bottles fit side by side along a chain. That is 201 liters of water guarding one cricket pitch. Hydration for the entire team.

### Did French revolutionaries know about chains?

The French who designed the metric system in the 1790s knew of Gunter's chain but rejected it along with all English measurement. They replaced chains with meters. Ironically, 1 chain is almost exactly 20.12 meters, a nearly clean metric number that Gunter stumbled onto 170 years earlier.

### Is a decimeter useless in a chain's world?

Mostly yes. Surveyors never used decimeters. But the decimeter's cube (1 liter) is deeply useful. A chain-length irrigation ditch 1 dm deep and 1 dm wide holds about 201 liters. So decimeters and chains meet in agricultural water management, if nowhere else.

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## See Also

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