How many furlongs in a mile?

There are exactly 8 furlongs in a statute mile. One furlong equals 201.168 meters (660 feet or 220 yards). The mile was historically defined as 8 furlongs, which is why the relationship is exact. A quarter mile (common in horse racing) is 2 furlongs.

What is a chain in surveying?

A chain (also called Gunter's chain, after Edmund Gunter who invented it in 1620) is a unit of length equal to 66 feet (20.1168 meters or 22 yards). It was the standard tool for land surveying in the English-speaking world for over 300 years. The chain consisted of 100 links, each 7.92 inches long. Ten chains equal one furlong; 80 chains equal one mile; an area of 10 square chains equals one acre.

How long is a furlong in meters?

One furlong is exactly 201.168 meters (660 feet, 220 yards, or 10 chains). It was originally defined as the length of a furrow in one acre of a standard-sized plowed field. The word comes from Old English 'furlang' meaning 'furrow long.'

Furlong and Chain: Agricultural Units Still in Use Today

Origins: From the Farm to the Racetrack

The furlong comes from Old English furlang — literally “furrow long.” It was the standard length of a furrow plowed by a team of oxen before they needed to rest and turn. This distance, 660 feet (201.168 meters), was practical because it was also the length of an acre-strip in open-field agriculture: one furrow-long by one chain wide produced an area of one acre.

The chain was standardized in 1620 by English mathematician Edmund Gunter. His surveying chain was exactly 66 feet (one-tenth of a furlong) and contained 100 metal links. Every English-speaking surveyor used Gunter's chain for over 300 years, and the US Public Land Survey System (which defined state and county boundaries) was laid out using it.

Furlongs to Meters / Yards / Miles

Furlongs	Meters	Yards	Miles
1	201.168	220	0.125
2	402.336	440	0.250
3	603.504	660	0.375
4	804.672	880	0.500
5	1,005.840	1,100	0.625
6	1,207.008	1,320	0.750
7	1,408.176	1,540	0.875
8	1,609.344	1,760	1.000
10	2,011.680	2,200	1.250

Chains to Feet / Meters

Chains	Feet	Meters	Yards
1	66	20.117	22
2	132	40.234	44
3	198	60.350	66
4	264	80.467	88
5	330	100.584	110
6	396	120.701	132
7	462	140.818	154
8	528	160.934	176
9	594	181.051	198
10	660	201.168	220

Key Relationships

10 chains = 1 furlong (201.168 m)
80 chains = 8 furlongs = 1 statute mile (1,609.344 m)
10 square chains = 1 acre (4,046.86 m²)
1 cricket pitch = 1 chain (22 yards / 20.12 m — the official length from wicket to wicket)
1 furlong = 100 links (where 1 link = 7.92 inches = 201.168 mm)

Where These Units Are Still Used Today

Furlongs remain the standard distance unit in horse racing across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United States. A sprint race at 5 furlongs is 1,006 meters; the classic 1¼ mile Kentucky Derby is 10 furlongs.

Chains survive in land surveying records throughout the US, UK, and Australia. Because the original public land surveys were done in chains, many legal property descriptions still reference chain measurements. The cricket pitch length of exactly 22 yards (1 chain) is enshrined in the Laws of Cricket and will not change.

Use our length converter to convert furlongs and chains to any modern unit, or our area converter for acre conversions.