chain [ch] Unit Converter

Definition of chain [ch] unit

A chain is a traditional unit of length equal to 66 feet, or 22 yards (approximately 20.1168 metres). It is subdivided into 100 links, with each link measuring 7.92 inches. The chain remains recognized in surveying and some land-measurement contexts.

History of chain [ch] unit

The chain was standardized in seventeenth-century England, commonly associated with the surveyor Edmund Gunter, who introduced Gunter’s chain around 1620. Its 66-foot length was practical because it divides conveniently into furlongs, rods, and links, supporting land surveys and boundary descriptions. One acre equals ten square chains, linking the unit directly with traditional area measurement. Historical use spread across Britain and North America, especially in cadastral surveying. Although steel tapes and electronic instruments largely replaced it, the chain remains embedded in legal records, historical maps, and surveying terminology.

Applications of chain [ch] unit

Today, the chain appears mainly in cadastral surveying, rural land descriptions, and historical property documents. Surveyors may encounter distances recorded as chains and links when retracing older boundaries. In the United States, the unit also survives in public-land survey records. For everyday measurement, however, metres, feet, and modern electronic instruments are generally preferred.

Complete list of chain [ch] unit conversion