What is a chain (US survey) unit?

It is a traditional length unit equal to 66 US survey feet, historically used in land surveying and cadastral work in the United States.

Why convert chain units to millimeters?

To translate legacy land survey measurements into modern metric units with millimeter precision for engineering and mapping.

Is the chain unit still commonly used?

No, the chain is mainly relevant for interpreting historical data as modern surveys use other units.

How to Convert from Chain (US survey) [ch] to Millimeter [mm]

Learn to convert length measurements from the US survey chain unit to millimeters using this precise online converter. Perfect for interpreting historical land data and engineering applications.

Chain (US survey) [ch]

Millimeter [mm]

Please check your input. It must be a valid numeric value.

Chain (US survey) [ch] to Millimeter [mm] Conversion Table

Chain (US survey) [ch]	Millimeter [mm]

Custom Unit Conversion Table Generator – Instant Printable Conversion Tables

Start Value

Enter the starting number (positive decimal or integer ≥ 0). Example: 0.1, 1, 5.

End Value

Enter the ending number (positive decimal or integer > Start Value). Example: 10, 50, 100.

Interval

Enter the step size (positive decimal > 0 and < End Value – Start Value). Example: 1.0, 2.5.

Chain (US survey) [ch] to Millimeter [mm] Conversion Table
Chain (US survey) [ch]	Millimeter [mm]

Explore More Length Units Converter

What Is This Tool?

This unit converter transforms measurements from the US survey chain, a traditional land surveying length unit, into millimeters, a precise SI unit useful for detailed engineering and mapping tasks.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the value in chain (US survey) units you want to convert.
Select chain (US survey) [ch] as the input unit and millimeter [mm] as the output unit.
Click on the convert button to get your equivalent length in millimeters.

Key Features

Converts the US survey chain (ch) to millimeters (mm) accurately.
Supports understanding legacy land measurement data for modern use.
Browser-based and easy to use for quick unit conversions.

Examples

Convert 2 ch: 2 times 20116.840233681 mm equals 40233.680467362 mm.
Convert 0.5 ch: 0.5 times 20116.840233681 mm equals 10058.4201168405 mm.

Common Use Cases

Translating historical US Land survey chain measurements into modern SI units for GIS and mapping software.
Using accurate millimeter values in CAD designs and engineering projects requiring legacy survey data.
Interpreting rural property boundaries and right-of-way measurements recorded in chains.

Tips & Best Practices

Ensure you understand the context of legacy survey data before converting units.
Double-check converted values when applying them to precision engineering tasks.
Use appropriate scaling when working with large magnitude differences to maintain clarity.

Limitations

The chain (US survey) is mostly used with historical data and is rarely employed in modern surveys.
Conversion may introduce minor rounding differences due to the underlying survey foot definition.
Large unit size differences require careful handling of scale to avoid numerical confusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a chain (US survey) unit?: It is a traditional length unit equal to 66 US survey feet, historically used in land surveying and cadastral work in the United States.
Why convert chain units to millimeters?: To translate legacy land survey measurements into modern metric units with millimeter precision for engineering and mapping.
Is the chain unit still commonly used?: No, the chain is mainly relevant for interpreting historical data as modern surveys use other units.

Key Terminology

Chain (US survey) [ch]: A traditional length unit equal to 66 US survey feet, historically used in American land surveying and subdivided into 100 links.
Millimeter [mm]: An SI derived unit representing one thousandth of a meter, used for highly precise length and size measurements.
Gunter's chain: A measuring device equal in length to one chain (US survey), used historically for cadastral surveying.

Quick Knowledge Check

What traditional measurement does 1 chain (US survey) equal?

100 links

66 US survey feet

20.1168 meters

Which unit is used for precise small-scale length measurements?

Chain (US survey)

Millimeter

Foot

Why might small rounding errors occur when converting chain to millimeters?

Due to decimal rounding

Because of the exact definition of the US survey foot

Conversion formulas changing over time

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