# Feet to Chains (ft to ch)

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

**1 ft = 0.015151515151515 ch**

One foot equals exactly 1/66 of a chain, or approximately 0.01515 chains. Conversely, one chain contains exactly 66 feet. This is the defining relationship of Gunter's chain, which was deliberately designed as 66 feet to create clean acre calculations for English land surveying.

## Formula

Convert Feet to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Feet (ft) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 1 ft | 0.015151515151515 ch |
| 5 ft | 0.075757575757576 ch |
| 10 ft | 0.15151515151515 ch |
| 20 ft | 0.3030303030303 ch |
| 50 ft | 0.75757575757576 ch |
| 66 ft | 1 ch |
| 100 ft | 1.5151515151515 ch |
| 200 ft | 3.030303030303 ch |
| 500 ft | 7.5757575757576 ch |
| 660 ft | 10 ch |
| 1000 ft | 15.151515151515 ch |
| 5000 ft | 75.757575757576 ch |
| 5280 ft | 80 ch |

## Units

### 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.

### 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

Sixty-six feet make one chain. A 100-foot lot frontage is about 1.515 chains. A football field at 300 feet (including end zones) is about 4.545 chains. When interpreting old property deeds that describe boundaries in chains, converting to feet helps modern homeowners understand the measurements.

## Good to Know

The foot-to-chain ratio (66:1) seems arbitrary until you see the elegance: 66 x 660 = 43,560 sq ft = 1 acre. The entire imperial land system (foot, chain, furlong, mile, acre) was designed as an interconnected web, not a random collection of units.

## FAQ

### How many chains is 1 foot?

One foot equals exactly 1/66 of a chain (approximately 0.01515 chains). One chain is exactly 66 feet.

### How many feet are in 1 chain?

One chain contains exactly 66 feet. This is the defining relationship established by Edmund Gunter around 1620.

### Why is a chain 66 feet?

Gunter chose 66 feet so that 10 square chains would equal exactly 1 acre (43,560 sq ft). The formula works: 66 ft x 660 ft (1 furlong) = 43,560 sq ft = 1 acre.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many feet do I need to survey an acre?

An acre is 1 chain x 1 furlong = 66 feet x 660 feet = 43,560 square feet. To walk the perimeter you need about 1,452 feet (66 + 660 + 66 + 660). That is about a 5-minute walk around your property. Unless it is an irregular acre, in which case good luck.

### Did American football fields replace chain measurements?

Not exactly, but both use the yard (3 feet). A football field is 300 feet (4.545 chains). A chain is 66 feet (22 yards). The 'chains' used to measure first downs in football are measuring chains, not Gunter's chain. Same word, different profession.

### Why is a cricket pitch 66 feet?

Because a cricket pitch is exactly 1 chain (22 yards = 66 feet), and that measurement was standardized when chains were the dominant survey unit. Cricket inherited a surveyor's measurement. Football, rugby, and most other sports chose rounder numbers in yards.

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## See Also

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