What is a mil (thou)?

A mil or thou is a unit of length used mainly in U.S. manufacturing, equal to one thousandth of an inch (0.001 in), exactly 0.0254 mm.

Why is the US survey mile different from the standard mile?

The US survey mile is defined based on survey feet to maintain consistency with historical cadastral and geodetic data in the United States.

When would I need to convert mil to mile (US survey)?

Conversions are useful when translating very small engineering or manufacturing measurements into larger distances for surveying, mapping, or interpreting legacy records.

Convert Mil [mil, thou] to Mile (US survey) [mi] Online

Easily convert length measurements from mil (thou) to mile (US survey) with this user-friendly online unit converter. Accurate, quick, and suitable for engineering, manufacturing, and surveying needs.

Mil [mil, thou]

Mile (US survey) [mi]

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Mil [mil, thou] to Mile (US survey) [mi] Conversion Table

Mil [mil, thou]	Mile (US survey) [mi]

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.

Mil [mil, thou] to Mile (US survey) [mi] Conversion Table
Mil [mil, thou]	Mile (US survey) [mi]

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What Is This Tool?

This tool converts length values from mil, a small unit often used in manufacturing and electronics, to the US survey mile, a larger measurement unit used mainly in surveying and mapping. It helps bridge scales between tiny technical dimensions and large-scale land measurements.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the length value in mil (thou) that you want to convert
Select mil as your input unit and mile (US survey) as the output unit
Click the convert button to get the equivalent distance in miles (US survey)
Review the results and use them for relevant manufacturing, engineering, or surveying applications

Key Features

Converts mil (thou) units to mile (US survey) accurately based on official definitions
Supports precision length conversions used in engineering, electronics, and surveying
Browser-based interface that requires no installation
Provides examples for easy understanding of conversions

Examples

1000 mil converts to 0.0000157828 mile (US survey)
10,000 mil converts to 0.000157828 mile (US survey)

Common Use Cases

Specifying fine thicknesses or tolerances in manufacturing and coating processes
Defining PCB trace widths and drill sizes in electronics design
Converting small mechanical dimensions to larger surveying distances
Interpreting lengths in legacy cadastral and land survey data referencing US survey miles

Tips & Best Practices

Use this tool to handle conversions when working between detailed manufacturing measurements and surveying units
Be aware of the scale difference when interpreting results to avoid misreading very small decimals
Apply conversions carefully where historical survey data require consistent use of US survey miles
Verify unit contexts before converting to maintain accuracy in technical communication

Limitations

Mil units are extremely small compared to miles leading to very small decimal results
Conversions may present rounding or precision challenges in practical use
Users should consider the appropriateness of converting between such disparate unit scales to prevent misinterpretation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mil (thou)?: A mil or thou is a unit of length used mainly in U.S. manufacturing, equal to one thousandth of an inch (0.001 in), exactly 0.0254 mm.
Why is the US survey mile different from the standard mile?: The US survey mile is defined based on survey feet to maintain consistency with historical cadastral and geodetic data in the United States.
When would I need to convert mil to mile (US survey)?: Conversions are useful when translating very small engineering or manufacturing measurements into larger distances for surveying, mapping, or interpreting legacy records.

Key Terminology

Mil (thou): A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch (0.001 in), commonly used to specify small thicknesses and tolerances.
Mile (US survey): A unit of length equal to exactly 5,280 US survey feet, used in U.S. surveying and mapping to maintain historical measurement consistency.
Conversion Rate: The factor used to change units from mil to mile (US survey), specifically 1 mil equals approximately 1.5782796717172e-8 miles (US survey).

Quick Knowledge Check

What does one mil equal in inches?

One tenth of an inch

One thousandth of an inch

One hundredth of an inch

The US survey mile is primarily used in which field?

Automotive manufacturing

Surveying and mapping

Electronics design

What is a common challenge when converting mil to mile (US survey)?

Handling rounding of very small decimal values

Lack of definition for the units

Incompatibility with metric units

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