Originating from the Old English word “geard,” the yard has historical roots in measuring land and property—dating back to when it was considered the average length of a stride. Interestingly, the yard as a standardized unit became more consistent with the rule of Henry I of England in the 12th century, who established it to be the distance from his nose to the thumb of his outstretched arm. Today, a yard is specifically defined as 0.9144 meters.
Yards are not only pivotal in everyday measurements, but they also play an iconic role in sports. For instance, American football and golf heavily rely on this unit for measuring distances on fields and courses, affecting strategies and outcomes. These unique uses showcase the yard’s adaptability across various fields.
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.
| Yards | US Survey Feet |
|---|---|
0
yd
|
0
ft-us
|
1
yd
|
3
ft-us
|
2
yd
|
6
ft-us
|
3
yd
|
9
ft-us
|
4
yd
|
12
ft-us
|
5
yd
|
15
ft-us
|
6
yd
|
18
ft-us
|
7
yd
|
21
ft-us
|
8
yd
|
24
ft-us
|
9
yd
|
27
ft-us
|
10
yd
|
30
ft-us
|
11
yd
|
33
ft-us
|
12
yd
|
36
ft-us
|
13
yd
|
39
ft-us
|
14
yd
|
42
ft-us
|
15
yd
|
45
ft-us
|
16
yd
|
48
ft-us
|
17
yd
|
51
ft-us
|
18
yd
|
54
ft-us
|
19
yd
|
57
ft-us
|
20
yd
|
60
ft-us
|
21
yd
|
63
ft-us
|
22
yd
|
66
ft-us
|
23
yd
|
69
ft-us
|
24
yd
|
72
ft-us
|
25
yd
|
75
ft-us
|
26
yd
|
78
ft-us
|
27
yd
|
81
ft-us
|
28
yd
|
84
ft-us
|
29
yd
|
87
ft-us
|
30
yd
|
90
ft-us
|
31
yd
|
93
ft-us
|
32
yd
|
96
ft-us
|
33
yd
|
99
ft-us
|
34
yd
|
102
ft-us
|
35
yd
|
105
ft-us
|
36
yd
|
108
ft-us
|
37
yd
|
111
ft-us
|
38
yd
|
114
ft-us
|
39
yd
|
117
ft-us
|
40
yd
|
120
ft-us
|
41
yd
|
123
ft-us
|
42
yd
|
126
ft-us
|
43
yd
|
129
ft-us
|
44
yd
|
132
ft-us
|
45
yd
|
135
ft-us
|
46
yd
|
138
ft-us
|
47
yd
|
141
ft-us
|
48
yd
|
144
ft-us
|
49
yd
|
147
ft-us
|
50
yd
|
150
ft-us
|
51
yd
|
153
ft-us
|
52
yd
|
156
ft-us
|
53
yd
|
159
ft-us
|
54
yd
|
162
ft-us
|
55
yd
|
165
ft-us
|
56
yd
|
168
ft-us
|
57
yd
|
171
ft-us
|
58
yd
|
174
ft-us
|
59
yd
|
177
ft-us
|
60
yd
|
180
ft-us
|
61
yd
|
183
ft-us
|
62
yd
|
186
ft-us
|
63
yd
|
189
ft-us
|
64
yd
|
192
ft-us
|
65
yd
|
195
ft-us
|
66
yd
|
198
ft-us
|
67
yd
|
201
ft-us
|
68
yd
|
204
ft-us
|
69
yd
|
207
ft-us
|
70
yd
|
210
ft-us
|
71
yd
|
213
ft-us
|
72
yd
|
216
ft-us
|
73
yd
|
219
ft-us
|
74
yd
|
222
ft-us
|
75
yd
|
225
ft-us
|
76
yd
|
228
ft-us
|
77
yd
|
231
ft-us
|
78
yd
|
234
ft-us
|
79
yd
|
237
ft-us
|
80
yd
|
240
ft-us
|
81
yd
|
243
ft-us
|
82
yd
|
246
ft-us
|
83
yd
|
249
ft-us
|
84
yd
|
252
ft-us
|
85
yd
|
255
ft-us
|
86
yd
|
258
ft-us
|
87
yd
|
261
ft-us
|
88
yd
|
264
ft-us
|
89
yd
|
267
ft-us
|
90
yd
|
270
ft-us
|
91
yd
|
273
ft-us
|
92
yd
|
276
ft-us
|
93
yd
|
279
ft-us
|
94
yd
|
282
ft-us
|
95
yd
|
285
ft-us
|
96
yd
|
288
ft-us
|
97
yd
|
291
ft-us
|
98
yd
|
294
ft-us
|
99
yd
|
297
ft-us
|
100
yd
|
300
ft-us
|
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