What Is This Tool?
This converter allows users to translate lengths measured in arpents, a historical French unit, into furlongs used in U.S. surveying. It is helpful for interpreting old land descriptions and cadastral documents from French colonial regions in terms of U.S. customary units.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the length value in arpents that you want to convert.
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Select the output unit as furlong (US survey).
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Click the convert button to get the equivalent length in furlongs.
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Use the result to understand or document historical land dimensions.
Key Features
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Converts arpent measurements to US survey furlongs accurately using a fixed conversion rate.
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Supports interpreting historical land and cadastral data for legal and surveying tasks.
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Browser-based, easy-to-use online tool requiring no installation.
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Ideal for cartographers, surveyors, real estate professionals, and historians.
Examples
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5 Arpents equal 1.45454 furlongs (US survey).
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10 Arpents equal 2.90909 furlongs (US survey).
Common Use Cases
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Describing lot frontage and parcel lengths in colonial Quebec and Louisiana land records.
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Analyzing and converting historical cadastral maps for modern surveying needs.
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Interpreting old legal land descriptions to match current measurement systems.
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Reporting traditional race distances in contexts where furlongs are still used.
Tips & Best Practices
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Verify the original regional definition of the arpent used to understand possible variations.
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Use conversions primarily for historical and surveying applications rather than everyday use.
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Be aware of differences between US survey units and international standard units if precision is important.
Limitations
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The arpent length varied historically depending on region, which can affect accuracy.
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US survey units differ slightly from international standards, so results may not be exact for scientific purposes.
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This conversion is mainly relevant for historical and cadastral contexts and less so for general measurements.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is an arpent used for?
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An arpent is a historical French unit of length used primarily for land measurement, especially in colonial Quebec and Louisiana to describe lot frontages and parcel dimensions.
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Why convert arpent to furlong (US survey)?
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Converting arpent to furlong (US survey) helps interpret old French land descriptions into U.S. customary surveying units for legal, cadastral, and mapping purposes.
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Is the conversion exact for all arpents?
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No, the exact length of an arpent varied regionally and historically, so conversions may introduce slight differences.
Key Terminology
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Arpent
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A historical French unit of length primarily used for land measurement and cadastral purposes.
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Furlong (US survey)
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A historical U.S. surveying unit equal to 660 US survey feet, used in land surveys and legal descriptions.
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Cadastral Map
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A map showing land parcels and boundaries, often used for property and legal documentation.