One pica is exactly 0.0008417508418 rods, so converting picas to rods 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.
Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating. Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
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 rods, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
0.000841750841751- The exact number of rods in one pica
rods- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 0.000841750841751, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in rods, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
An Olympic pool: 1.18e+04 pica in rods
An Olympic pool comes to about 1.18e+04 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 1.18e+04 × 0.000841751 = 9.93266 rd. Dividing the answer back by 0.000841751 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
The Eiffel Tower: 7.8e+04 pica in rods
The Eiffel Tower comes to about 7.8e+04 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 7.8e+04 × 0.000841751 = 65.6566 rd. Dividing the answer back by 0.000841751 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many rods are in one pica?
Exactly 0.000841750841751. 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 picas to rods?
rods = picas × 0.000841750841751. Reversed, picas = rods ÷ 0.000841750841751, which is the same as multiplying by 1188.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the rod?
The rod. One pica is only 0.000841751 of a rod, so it takes 1188 picas to make one rod.
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 pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
What is a rod?
Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating.
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.
Is there a quick way to do pica to rd in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 1200 instead of using the exact factor 0.0008417508418. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.083333333 rods, off by 0.0008418 rods or about 1.00%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Picas to rods reference tables
| Picas | Rods |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 0.000420875 rd |
| 1 pica | 0.000841751 rd |
| 2 pica | 0.0016835 rd |
| 3 pica | 0.00252525 rd |
| 5 pica | 0.00420875 rd |
| 10 pica | 0.00841751 rd |
| 20 pica | 0.016835 rd |
| 25 pica | 0.0210438 rd |
| 50 pica | 0.0420875 rd |
| 75 pica | 0.0631313 rd |
| 100 pica | 0.0841751 rd |
| 250 pica | 0.210438 rd |
| 500 pica | 0.420875 rd |
| 1000 pica | 0.841751 rd |
| 5000 pica | 4.20875 rd |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 0.000841750841751 rods.
| Quantity | pica | rd |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 0.01702 rd |
| A door height | 480 pica | 0.404 rd |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 9.942 rd |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 65.62 rd |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 8390 rd |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 2.534e+06 rd |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.