# Kilometers to Chains (km to ch) Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/kilometers-to-chains/ **1 km = 49.709695378987 ch** One kilometer equals approximately 49.71 chains. A chain (66 feet / 20.1168 m) was the standard English land surveying unit. When converting old chain-based surveys to metric for modern GIS systems, this conversion translates between the two measurement traditions. ## Formula Convert Kilometers to Chains ## Conversion Table | Kilometers (km) | Chains (ch) | |---|---| | 0.1 km | 4.9709695378987 ch | | 0.25 km | 12.427423844747 ch | | 0.5 km | 24.854847689493 ch | | 1 km | 49.709695378987 ch | | 2 km | 99.419390757973 ch | | 5 km | 248.54847689493 ch | | 10 km | 497.09695378987 ch | | 42.195 km | 2097.5005965163 ch | | 50 km | 2485.4847689493 ch | | 100 km | 4970.9695378987 ch | | 200 km | 9941.9390757973 ch | | 500 km | 24854.847689493 ch | | 1000 km | 49709.695378987 ch | ## Units ### Kilometer (km) A metric unit of length equal to 1000 meters. The standard unit for measuring road distances and geographic distances in most countries. ### 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 kilometer is about 49.71 chains. A 10 km distance is about 497.1 chains. Old English property maps described land in chains, but modern mapping uses kilometers. Converting between them helps digitize historical records into contemporary coordinate systems. ## Good to Know Australia, a former British colony, had all its early land surveys in chains. When the country went metric in the 1970s, millions of chain measurements had to be converted to kilometers. This was one of the largest unit conversion projects in history. ## FAQ ### How many chains is 1 kilometer? One kilometer equals approximately 49.71 chains. Since 1 chain = 20.1168 m and 1 km = 1,000 m, divide 1,000 by 20.1168. ### How many kilometers are in 1 chain? One chain equals approximately 0.02012 km (20.1168 m). ### When is this conversion used? When digitizing old English property surveys (in chains) into modern metric maps (in km). Also in former British colonies where old cadastral records use chains but modern planning uses km. ## Non-Frequently Asked Questions ### How many cricket pitches is a km? 1 km = about 49.7 chains. A cricket pitch is 1 chain. So roughly 50 cricket pitches end-to-end make a kilometer. Walking a kilometer is walking past 50 cricket matches. ## Related Articles - [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure) - [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory) - [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement) - [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler) - [The Speed of Everything: How We Measure From Glaciers to Light](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-speed-of-everything) - [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide) - [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong) - [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units) - [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide) - [Length & Distance Conversion Guide - Meters, Feet, Miles & Kilometers](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/length-and-distance-guide) ## See Also - [Chains to Kilometers](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-kilometers/)