Convert Rod to US Survey Foot
Convert rods to us survey feet instantly. 1 rod = 16.499967 us survey foot — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the US Survey Foot to Rod converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Rod
A rod is an Imperial unit of length equal to 16.5 feet (about 5.03 m). It is also called a perch or pole. Used historically in English and American land surveying.
The rod derives from medieval English land-surveying practice. Standardised at 16.5 feet (= 25 links of a surveyor's chain = 1/4 chain) by Edmund Gunter in 1620.
Rods are the standard unit in legacy US public-land-survey records, where lot dimensions are typically expressed in rods and chains. Modern surveyors generally use feet or meters but legacy deeds remain in rods.
Defined by Edmund Gunter in 1620 as 16.5 feet via the chain-based survey system; became exact via the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
US Survey Foot
The US Survey Foot is a legacy unit of length defined as exactly 1200/3937 meters (approximately 0.3048006 m). It differs from the modern international foot by about 2 parts per million.
Established in the United States by the Mendenhall Order of 1893, which defined the foot in terms of the meter as 1200/3937 m. The US continued using this value for surveying even after the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement standardized the international foot at exactly 0.3048 m.
Used in US land surveying, geodetic measurements, state plane coordinate systems, and legal land descriptions. The US Survey Foot was officially deprecated by NIST and NOAA effective December 31, 2022, with the international foot becoming the sole US standard. Legacy data and recorded land surveys still reference it.
Mendenhall Order of 1893 defined the foot as 1200/3937 m; persisted in US surveying after 1959; officially deprecated by NIST/NOAA as of December 31, 2022.
Rod to US Survey Foot conversion formula
Note: this conversion uses a generally accepted modern value. Historical and regional definitions of this unit varied across times and places.
The relationship between rods and us survey feet:
To convert rods to us survey feet, multiply the value in rods by 16.499967. To reverse, multiply us survey feet by 0.0606061818.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in us survey feet updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the US Survey Foot to Rod converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert rods to us survey feet
- Write down the value in rods (rd).
- Multiply that value by the factor 16.499967.
- The product is the equivalent value in us survey feet (sft).
- To reverse, multiply the us survey foot value by 0.0606061818.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 rd to sft:
1 × 16.499967 = 16.499967 sft
Example 2 — Convert 100 rd to sft:
100 × 16.499967 = 1649.9967 sft
Real-world example — Adult height conversion
A 1.8-rod-tall person measures a value in us survey feet that converts the height to the unit favoured by American forms, schools, or driver's licences. This is daily routine for anyone living between metric and imperial systems.
1.8 rd × 16.499967 = 29.6999406 sft
Real-world example — Fabric purchase length
Two rods of fabric equals a value in us survey feet essential for tailors and textile buyers sourcing material from international suppliers that quote in different units.
2 rd × 16.499967 = 32.999934 sft
Real-world example — Maritime depth conversion
A 10-rod sounding depth converts cleanly into us survey feet. Recreational divers and sailors translate between the two units whenever they read legacy charts against modern depth-sounder displays.
10 rd × 16.499967 = 164.99967 sft
Rod to US Survey Foot conversion table
Standard reference values for converting rods to us survey feet:
| Rod [rd] | US Survey Foot [sft] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 0.16499967 |
| 0.1 | 1.6499967 |
| 1 | 16.499967 |
| 2 | 32.999934 |
| 3 | 49.499901 |
| 4 | 65.999868 |
| 5 | 82.499835 |
| 10 | 164.99967 |
| 20 | 329.99934 |
| 30 | 494.99901 |
| 40 | 659.99868 |
| 50 | 824.99835 |
| 100 | 1649.9967 |
| 500 | 8249.9835 |
| 1000 | 16499.967 |
Frequently asked questions
How many us survey feet is 1 rod?
How do I convert rods to us survey feet?
How do I convert us survey feet back to rods?
How many us survey feet is 100 rods?
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Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (26 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 rd = 16.499967 sft) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Hydrographic Organization — Resolution on the Nautical Mile
International authority that standardised the nautical mile at exactly 1852 m in 1929 — the value adopted worldwide for sea and air navigation.