This page converts rods into fathoms using the factor 2.75, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts. Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating.
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". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in fathoms, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
rods- The amount you are converting, in rods
2.75- The exact number of fathoms in one rod
fathoms- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in rods.
- It is multiplied by 2.75, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in fathoms, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A door height: 0.404 rd in fathoms
At 0.404 rd (a door height), the same quantity in fathoms is 0.404 × 2.75 = 1.111 ftm. One rod is 2.75 fathoms, so the numbers grow as expected.
An Olympic pool: 9.94 rd in fathoms
An Olympic pool comes to about 9.94 rd. Multiplying by the factor: 9.94 × 2.75 = 27.335 ftm. Dividing the answer back by 2.75 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 fathoms are in one rod?
Exactly 2.75. 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 rods to fathoms?
fathoms = rods × 2.75. Reversed, rods = fathoms ÷ 2.75, which is the same as multiplying by 0.363636363636.
Which is the bigger unit, the rod or the fathom?
The rod. One rod equals 2.75 fathoms.
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 rod?
Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating.
What is a fathom?
Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts.
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 rd to ftm in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 2.8 instead of using the exact factor 2.75. At 100 that shortcut gives 280 fathoms, off by 5 fathoms or about 1.82%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Rods to fathoms reference tables
| Rods | Fathoms |
|---|---|
| 0.5 rd | 1.375 ftm |
| 1 rd | 2.75 ftm |
| 2 rd | 5.5 ftm |
| 3 rd | 8.25 ftm |
| 5 rd | 13.75 ftm |
| 10 rd | 27.5 ftm |
| 20 rd | 55 ftm |
| 25 rd | 68.75 ftm |
| 50 rd | 137.5 ftm |
| 75 rd | 206.25 ftm |
| 100 rd | 275 ftm |
| 250 rd | 687.5 ftm |
| 500 rd | 1375 ftm |
| 1000 rd | 2750 ftm |
| 5000 rd | 13,750 ftm |
Exact factor: 1 rod = 2.75 fathoms.
| Quantity | rd | ftm |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.01702 rd | 0.04681 ftm |
| A door height | 0.404 rd | 1.111 ftm |
| An Olympic pool | 9.942 rd | 27.34 ftm |
| The Eiffel Tower | 65.62 rd | 180.4 ftm |
| A marathon | 8390 rd | 2.307e+04 ftm |
| Earth’s diameter | 2.534e+06 rd | 6.967e+06 ftm |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.