A rod is a traditional English unit of length equal to 16.5 feet or exactly 5.0292 metres, historically used in land measurement.

What is a chain (US survey) (ch)?

A chain (US survey) is a traditional unit equal to 66 US survey feet or approximately 20.1168 metres, commonly used in historical U.S. land surveying.

Why convert rod to chain (US survey)?

Converting allows interpretation of older British measurements into units historically used in U.S. cadastral surveys for mapping and legal purposes.

Is this conversion precise for all applications?

Due to differences in foot definitions and historical usage, the conversion is best for general understanding and legacy data, not precision-critical tasks.

How to Convert from Rod [rd] to Chain (US survey) [ch]

Learn how to convert measurements from rod (rd) to chain (US survey) (ch), traditional length units used in historical land surveying and cadastral mapping.

Rod [rd]

Chain (US survey) [ch]

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

Rod [rd] to Chain (US survey) [ch] Conversion Table

Rod [rd]	Chain (US survey) [ch]

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.

Rod [rd] to Chain (US survey) [ch] Conversion Table
Rod [rd]	Chain (US survey) [ch]

Explore More Length Units Converter

What Is This Tool?

This online converter helps translate lengths measured in rods to chains (US survey), units historically used in surveying and land measurement in the UK and early United States.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the length value in rods (rd).
Select rod as the input unit and chain (US survey) as the output unit.
Initiate the conversion to see the equivalent length in chains (ch).

Key Features

Converts rod (rd) to chain (US survey) (ch) based on traditional length units.
Browser-based and easy to use without requiring installation.
Supports interpretation of historical land deed and cadastral data.

Examples

4 Rods × 0.2499995 = 1 Chain (US survey)
8 Rods × 0.2499995 = 2 Chains (US survey)

Common Use Cases

Interpreting distances in historical land deeds and cadastral records for mapping.
Translating field and fence measurements in older agricultural surveys.
Supporting heritage restoration projects referencing legacy units.

Tips & Best Practices

Verify the exact definitions of feet used in your jurisdiction when precision matters.
Use this converter primarily for legacy or historical measurement data.
Cross-check converted values with original records for accurate interpretation.

Limitations

Differences between international feet and US survey feet can affect accuracy.
Units are mostly historical and not commonly used for modern measurements.
Precision depends on jurisdictional definitions of feet and metres.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rod (rd)?: A rod is a traditional English unit of length equal to 16.5 feet or exactly 5.0292 metres, historically used in land measurement.
What is a chain (US survey) (ch)?: A chain (US survey) is a traditional unit equal to 66 US survey feet or approximately 20.1168 metres, commonly used in historical U.S. land surveying.
Why convert rod to chain (US survey)?: Converting allows interpretation of older British measurements into units historically used in U.S. cadastral surveys for mapping and legal purposes.
Is this conversion precise for all applications?: Due to differences in foot definitions and historical usage, the conversion is best for general understanding and legacy data, not precision-critical tasks.

Key Terminology

Rod [rd]: A traditional English length unit equal to 16.5 feet or exactly 5.0292 metres, used historically in surveying and land measurement.
Chain (US survey) [ch]: A traditional length unit equal to 66 US survey feet or about 20.1168 metres, used historically in United States land surveys.
Gunter's chain: Another name for the US survey chain consisting of 66 survey feet divided into 100 links.

Quick Knowledge Check

What traditional length unit is equal to 16.5 feet?

Chain (US survey)

Rod

Link

What does 1 rod convert to in chains (US survey)?

0.2499995 chains

1 chain

4 chains

Where is the chain (US survey) unit mainly used?

British Isles historic surveys

U.S. land surveying

Everyday measurements

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