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chain to yard – How to convert ch to yd
The chain is a measurement unit that dates back to the 17th century, yet it continues to show up in modern surveying, land records, and civil engineering. Whether you're reading a historical deed or working with old engineering documents, converting chains to yards makes those measurements easier to work with in more familiar terms.
Let’s look at how the conversion works, where the chain originated, and why it’s still part of land-based measurements.
What is a chain (ch)?
A chain is a unit of length used primarily in surveying and land measurement. It was standardized in the early 1600s by English surveyor Edmund Gunter, who created the Gunter’s chain — a 66-foot-long metal chain made of 100 links.
By definition:
1 chain = 66 feet
And since 1 yard = 3 feet, that means:1 chain = 22 yards
Chains are still used today in certain land surveying systems (such as the U.S. Public Land Survey System), and appear frequently in legal land descriptions, older engineering plans, and even some agricultural references.
What is a yard (yd)?
A yard is a widely used imperial unit of length, especially in the U.S. and the U.K. It equals:
1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches
Yards are common in everyday applications like construction, textiles, landscaping, and sports field measurements. It’s a practical unit for medium-scale distances — and far more familiar to most people than the chain.
How to convert chains to yards
The relationship is direct:
1 chain = 22 yards
So the conversion formula is:
yards = chains × 22
Example conversion
Let’s convert 4.5 chains into yards:
yards = 4.5 × 22yards = 99
So, 4.5 chains equals 99 yards.
Need to convert more values quickly? Use our Length Converter for fast and accurate results. For more conversions across units and disciplines, check out our full library of Conversion tools.
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Did you know?
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A cricket pitch is exactly 1 chain (22 yards) long — a remnant of British measurement traditions.
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The furlong, another old unit, equals 10 chains or 220 yards — it’s still used in horse racing.
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In the U.S., land parcels are often described in chains and links, particularly in older property records.
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Many engineering blueprints and field books from the 19th and early 20th centuries used chains as their base unit of length.
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Chain-based surveying is still taught in some civil engineering programs to help students understand the historical foundations of modern land systems.
The unit that laid out nations
Long before GPS or laser rangefinders, surveyors used physical chains to measure and map out towns, roads, farms, and railways. The advantage? The system was incredibly easy to scale. Since 1 chain = 22 yards, 10 chains = 220 yards, and 80 chains = 1 mile, surveyors could plot out land quickly and consistently.
In countries like the United States and Australia, entire land division systems were based on chains. Even today, these measurements define legal property lines in rural and agricultural regions.
Understanding how to convert from chains to yards helps bridge the gap between historic land records and modern units. It also makes sense of old documents and plans that are still legally valid and in use.
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A simple step with deep roots
To convert chains to yards:
yards = chains × 22
It’s one of the easiest conversions in surveying — and one that connects you directly to the historical backbone of land measurement.
Need help with other conversions? Use our Length Converter, or explore the full suite of Conversion tools to handle everything from modern metrics to legacy imperial systems.
