The inch, once the size of a barleycorn kernel, has fascinating origins. Early English measurement systems based it on the width of a man’s thumb. In the 14th century, King Edward II of England formalized it, defining an inch as the length of three barleycorns laid end to end. Historically, the inch was crucial for countless innovations, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, influencing everything from watchmaking to industrial design.
Today, the inch still plays an integral role in areas like screen sizes and standardized paper dimensions, delighting both tech enthusiasts and everyday users. Interestingly, in surveying, an inch is divided into hundredths in the US, showing its adaptability in precision tasks. Despite the global shift towards the metric system, the inch endures, showcasing its resilience and continued relevance.
The US Survey Foot might seem like an unassuming unit, but it’s steeped in the very history of American land measurement. Unlike the International Foot, which is precisely defined as 0.3048 meters, the US Survey Foot is ever-so-slightly longer at approximately 0.3048006 meters. This minuscule difference stems from surveying practices established in the early 19th century and has historically been used for mapping and property delineation across the United States. Integral to the country’s westward expansion, the US Survey Foot played a pivotal role in the division and sale of public lands—underscoring its foundational impact on both real estate and infrastructure.
Despite its historical significance, the US Survey Foot was officially deprecated at the end of 2022, as the US moves towards a unified use of the International Foot for federal geodetic surveys. This transition simplifies engineering and scientific calculations, streamlining US standards with global practices. The legacy of the US Survey Foot, however, serves as a fascinating footnote in the story of American land development, marking an era when precise measurements charted the course of a growing nation.
| Inches | US Survey Feet |
|---|---|
0
in
|
0
ft-us
|
1
in
|
0.0833332
ft-us
|
2
in
|
0.166666
ft-us
|
3
in
|
0.25
ft-us
|
4
in
|
0.333333
ft-us
|
5
in
|
0.416666
ft-us
|
6
in
|
0.499999
ft-us
|
7
in
|
0.583332
ft-us
|
8
in
|
0.666665
ft-us
|
9
in
|
0.749999
ft-us
|
10
in
|
0.833332
ft-us
|
11
in
|
0.916665
ft-us
|
12
in
|
0.999998
ft-us
|
13
in
|
1.08333
ft-us
|
14
in
|
1.16666
ft-us
|
15
in
|
1.25
ft-us
|
16
in
|
1.33333
ft-us
|
17
in
|
1.41666
ft-us
|
18
in
|
1.5
ft-us
|
19
in
|
1.58333
ft-us
|
20
in
|
1.66666
ft-us
|
21
in
|
1.75
ft-us
|
22
in
|
1.83333
ft-us
|
23
in
|
1.91666
ft-us
|
24
in
|
2
ft-us
|
25
in
|
2.08333
ft-us
|
26
in
|
2.16666
ft-us
|
27
in
|
2.25
ft-us
|
28
in
|
2.33333
ft-us
|
29
in
|
2.41666
ft-us
|
30
in
|
2.5
ft-us
|
31
in
|
2.58333
ft-us
|
32
in
|
2.66666
ft-us
|
33
in
|
2.75
ft-us
|
34
in
|
2.83333
ft-us
|
35
in
|
2.91666
ft-us
|
36
in
|
3
ft-us
|
37
in
|
3.08333
ft-us
|
38
in
|
3.16666
ft-us
|
39
in
|
3.25
ft-us
|
40
in
|
3.33333
ft-us
|
41
in
|
3.41666
ft-us
|
42
in
|
3.5
ft-us
|
43
in
|
3.58333
ft-us
|
44
in
|
3.66666
ft-us
|
45
in
|
3.75
ft-us
|
46
in
|
3.83333
ft-us
|
47
in
|
3.91666
ft-us
|
48
in
|
4
ft-us
|
49
in
|
4.08333
ft-us
|
50
in
|
4.16666
ft-us
|
51
in
|
4.25
ft-us
|
52
in
|
4.33332
ft-us
|
53
in
|
4.41666
ft-us
|
54
in
|
4.5
ft-us
|
55
in
|
4.58332
ft-us
|
56
in
|
4.66666
ft-us
|
57
in
|
4.75
ft-us
|
58
in
|
4.83332
ft-us
|
59
in
|
4.91666
ft-us
|
60
in
|
5
ft-us
|
61
in
|
5.08332
ft-us
|
62
in
|
5.16666
ft-us
|
63
in
|
5.24999
ft-us
|
64
in
|
5.33332
ft-us
|
65
in
|
5.41666
ft-us
|
66
in
|
5.5
ft-us
|
67
in
|
5.58332
ft-us
|
68
in
|
5.66666
ft-us
|
69
in
|
5.74999
ft-us
|
70
in
|
5.83332
ft-us
|
71
in
|
5.91665
ft-us
|
72
in
|
6
ft-us
|
73
in
|
6.08332
ft-us
|
74
in
|
6.16665
ft-us
|
75
in
|
6.24999
ft-us
|
76
in
|
6.33332
ft-us
|
77
in
|
6.41665
ft-us
|
78
in
|
6.5
ft-us
|
79
in
|
6.58332
ft-us
|
80
in
|
6.66665
ft-us
|
81
in
|
6.74999
ft-us
|
82
in
|
6.83332
ft-us
|
83
in
|
6.91665
ft-us
|
84
in
|
7
ft-us
|
85
in
|
7.08332
ft-us
|
86
in
|
7.16665
ft-us
|
87
in
|
7.24999
ft-us
|
88
in
|
7.33332
ft-us
|
89
in
|
7.41665
ft-us
|
90
in
|
7.5
ft-us
|
91
in
|
7.58332
ft-us
|
92
in
|
7.66665
ft-us
|
93
in
|
7.74998
ft-us
|
94
in
|
7.83332
ft-us
|
95
in
|
7.91665
ft-us
|
96
in
|
8
ft-us
|
97
in
|
8.08332
ft-us
|
98
in
|
8.16665
ft-us
|
99
in
|
8.24998
ft-us
|
100
in
|
8.33332
ft-us
|
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