# Leagues to Chains (lea to ch)

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

**1 lea = 240 ch**

One league equals exactly 240 chains. Since 1 league = 3 miles, 1 mile = 80 chains, and 3 x 80 = 240. Both units come from the English measurement tradition: the league for travel distance, the chain for land surveying.

## Formula

Convert Leagues to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Leagues (lea) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 lea | 24 ch |
| 0.25 lea | 60 ch |
| 0.5 lea | 120 ch |
| 1 lea | 240 ch |
| 2 lea | 480 ch |
| 5 lea | 1200 ch |
| 10 lea | 2400 ch |
| 20 lea | 4800 ch |
| 50 lea | 12000 ch |
| 100 lea | 24000 ch |
| 500 lea | 120000 ch |
| 1000 lea | 240000 ch |
| 20000 lea | 4800000 ch |

## Units

### 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.

### 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

Two hundred forty chains make one league. One furlong is 10 chains, one mile is 80 chains, and one league is 240 chains. This clean hierarchy (chains to furlongs to miles to leagues) is one of the more elegant aspects of the English system, even though almost nobody uses any of these units today.

## Good to Know

The chain-furlong-mile-league hierarchy runs 10-8-3: 10 chains per furlong, 8 furlongs per mile, 3 miles per league. Only the 10-chain furlong has a decimal ratio. The rest is classic English measurement chaos.

## FAQ

### How many chains are in 1 league?

One league contains exactly 240 chains. Since 1 league = 3 miles and 1 mile = 80 chains, multiply 3 by 80.

### How do I convert leagues to chains?

Multiply leagues by 240. For example, 10 leagues = 2,400 chains.

### Are leagues and chains related?

Both belong to the English foot-based system. The chain was for surveying fields; the league was for estimating travel distance. They share the mile as a common intermediate unit.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### If Tolkien's hobbits walked 20 leagues, how many cricket pitches did they cross?

A cricket pitch is 1 chain (22 yards). Twenty leagues = 4,800 chains = 4,800 cricket pitches. Middle-earth apparently had room for about 4,800 cricket matches along the road to Mordor. The hobbits missed every one.

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## See Also

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