One furlong is exactly 10 chains, so converting furlongs to chains is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Sixty-six feet — the length of a cricket pitch, and the unit the US Public Land Survey was laid out in. Ten chains, one eighth of a mile — the unit horse racing is still measured and bet in.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into chains, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
furlongs- The amount you are converting, in furlongs
10- The exact number of chains in one furlong
chains- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in furlongs.
- It is multiplied by 10, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in chains, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 0.000426 fur in chains
A credit card’s long edge comes to about 0.000426 fur. Multiplying by the factor: 0.000426 × 10 = 0.00426 ch. Dividing the answer back by 10 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
An Olympic pool: 0.249 fur in chains
At 0.249 fur (an olympic pool), the same quantity in chains is 0.249 × 10 = 2.49 ch. One furlong is 10 chains, so the numbers grow as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many chains are in one furlong?
Exactly 10. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert furlongs to chains?
chains = furlongs × 10. Reversed, furlongs = chains ÷ 10, which is the same as multiplying by 0.1.
Which is the bigger unit, the furlong or the chain?
The furlong. One furlong equals 10 chains.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a furlong?
Ten chains, one eighth of a mile — the unit horse racing is still measured and bet in.
What is a chain?
Sixty-six feet — the length of a cricket pitch, and the unit the US Public Land Survey was laid out in.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Furlongs to chains reference tables
| Furlongs | Chains |
|---|---|
| 0.5 fur | 5 ch |
| 1 fur | 10 ch |
| 2 fur | 20 ch |
| 3 fur | 30 ch |
| 5 fur | 50 ch |
| 10 fur | 100 ch |
| 20 fur | 200 ch |
| 25 fur | 250 ch |
| 50 fur | 500 ch |
| 75 fur | 750 ch |
| 100 fur | 1000 ch |
| 250 fur | 2500 ch |
| 500 fur | 5000 ch |
| 1000 fur | 10,000 ch |
| 5000 fur | 50,000 ch |
Exact factor: 1 furlong = 10 chains.
| Quantity | fur | ch |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.0004255 fur | 0.004255 ch |
| A door height | 0.0101 fur | 0.101 ch |
| An Olympic pool | 0.2485 fur | 2.485 ch |
| The Eiffel Tower | 1.64 fur | 16.4 ch |
| A marathon | 209.8 fur | 2098 ch |
| Earth’s diameter | 6.334e+04 fur | 6.334e+05 ch |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.