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Equivalent length
Accurate length conversion between rods (rd) and metres (m)
Convert rods to metres instantly using the exact international definition. Full multi-unit breakdown into feet, yards, inches, kilometres, chains, furlongs, and miles — all in one free tool for 2026.
Professional length conversion for land surveying, agriculture, heritage mapping, and historical research
The rod (also called a pole or perch) is defined as exactly 5.0292 metres — which equals exactly 16.5 feet or 5½ yards. This definition has been fixed since the international yard agreement of 1959, anchoring the rod precisely within the metric system via the yard (1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly). There is zero ambiguity in the rod-to-metre conversion: 1 rd = 5.0292 m, no approximation required.
Switch instantly between rods → metres and metres → rods conversion modes. The results panel simultaneously displays the equivalent value in 9 length units — rods, metres, feet, yards, inches, centimetres, kilometres, chains, furlongs, and miles — giving you complete context from a single input without needing multiple separate tools or manual calculations.
Essential for land surveying and cadastral mapping (where rods remain in use for historical deeds), agricultural land measurement, heritage property research, civil engineering on historically surveyed land, genealogy research involving old land grants, and converting vintage maps and estate records that use chains, rods, and furlongs into modern metric measurements.
Select conversion direction and enter your length value below
The rod is one of the oldest units of linear measurement in the English-speaking world, with documented use dating back to medieval England. Also known as the pole or perch, it is precisely defined as 5.0292 metres — equivalent to 16½ feet or 5½ yards. This exact value is derived from the international yard definition of 1959 (1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly), so: 1 rod = 5.5 yards × 0.9144 m/yard = 5.0292 m. The conversion is completely fixed — there are no historical variants to worry about in modern usage since the 1959 international standard.
The rod occupies an important structural position in the traditional imperial measurement system for land. It is exactly 1/4 of a chain (1 chain = 4 rods = 20.1168 m), exactly 1/40 of a furlong (1 furlong = 40 rods = 201.168 m), and exactly 1/320 of a mile (1 mile = 320 rods = 1,609.344 m). This neat 4-40-320 relationship made the rod the fundamental building block of English land measurement for centuries, and it remains embedded in historical land records, deeds, and survey documents that modern researchers and surveyors must still interpret and convert.
Example: 10 rods × 5.0292 = 50.292 m | 100 m ÷ 5.0292 = 19.884 rods
1 rod = 5.0292 m = 16.5 ft = 5.5 yd = 198 in | 4 rods = 1 chain | 40 rods = 1 furlong | 320 rods = 1 mile
To convert rods to metres, multiply the rod value by 5.0292. To reverse (metres to rods), divide by 5.0292. Here are three worked examples from common real-world contexts:
Input: 20 rods
Formula: m = 20 × 5.0292
Result: 100.584 m
= typical lot boundary on an old deed
Input: 80 rods
Formula: m = 80 × 5.0292
Result: 402.336 m
= 2 furlongs = ¼ mile field length
Input: 4 rods
Formula: m = 4 × 5.0292
Result: 20.1168 m
= exactly 1 chain (66 feet)
For fast estimates: multiply rods by 5 for an approximate metre value (accurate to within 0.6%). So 10 rods ≈ 50 m, 20 rods ≈ 100 m, 100 rods ≈ 500 m. For exact conversions, always use the full factor of 5.0292. Also remember: 4 rods = 1 chain (20.1168 m), 40 rods = 1 furlong (201.168 m), 320 rods = 1 mile (1,609.344 m). Converting rods to chains: divide by 4. Converting rods to furlongs: divide by 40.
Use this reference table to quickly look up common rod to metre conversions. Columns include feet, yards, and real-world context. Desktop shows the full table; mobile shows grouped cards below.
| Rods (rd) | Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | Yards (yd) | Real-World / Survey Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 rod | 2.5146 m | 8.25 ft | 2.75 yd | Half a rod |
| 1 rod | 5.0292 m | 16.5 ft | 5.5 yd | 1 rod / pole / perch |
| 2 rods | 10.0584 m | 33 ft | 11 yd | Half a chain |
| 4 rods | 20.1168 m | 66 ft | 22 yd | 1 chain (surveyors' chain) |
| 8 rods | 40.2336 m | 132 ft | 44 yd | 2 chains |
| 10 rods | 50.292 m | 165 ft | 55 yd | 2.5 chains |
| 20 rods | 100.584 m | 330 ft | 110 yd | 5 chains / 0.5 furlong |
| 40 rods | 201.168 m | 660 ft | 220 yd | 1 furlong (10 chains) |
| 80 rods | 402.336 m | 1,320 ft | 440 yd | 2 furlongs (¼ mile) |
| 160 rods | 804.672 m | 2,640 ft | 880 yd | 4 furlongs (½ mile) |
| 200 rods | 1,005.84 m | 3,300 ft | 1,100 yd | 5 furlongs |
| 320 rods | 1,609.344 m | 5,280 ft | 1,760 yd | 1 statute mile exactly |
| 1,000 rods | 5,029.2 m | 16,500 ft | 5,500 yd | 3.125 miles |
The rod-to-metre conversion bridges historical imperial land measurement and the modern metric system — essential in any field where old documents and current measurements must coexist.
Historical land deeds in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia routinely describe property boundaries in chains and rods. A boundary described as "15 rods north" on an 18th-century deed is 75.438 metres in modern metric terms. Surveyors, title companies, and land registries must convert these historic measurements accurately when updating cadastral records, resolving boundary disputes, or registering old titles in modern metric land registry systems.
Traditional farm field layouts in English-speaking countries were designed around rod, chain, and furlong measurements. A standard field strip in the open-field system was typically 1 furlong (40 rods / 201.168 m) long and 1–4 rods wide. Modern farmers converting old estate maps to GIS systems, planning irrigation layouts, or interpreting historical farm records need accurate rod-to-metre conversions to overlay historical data on modern digital maps.
Land grants, wills, estate inventories, and homestead claims from the 17th–19th centuries frequently describe property in rods, poles, chains, and perches. Genealogists and historians researching ancestral properties must convert these historical measurements to metres or feet to identify land parcels on modern maps, calculate farm sizes, or locate historic building sites that no longer appear on current maps by their original descriptions.
Engineers working on infrastructure projects through historically surveyed land — roads, railways, pipelines, utility corridors — often encounter original survey data expressed in chains, links, and rods from 19th-century surveys. Converting these legacy measurements accurately to metres is essential for route alignment, easement boundary confirmation, and integrating historical survey data into modern CAD and GIS engineering design tools used in 2026.
The rod appears in mathematics education when studying historical measurement systems, unit conversion problems, and the history of standardisation. Understanding how 4 rods = 1 chain, 10 chains = 1 furlong, and 8 furlongs = 1 mile creates a coherent decimal-like structure within the imperial system. Students studying measurement history, historical mathematics, or preparing for standardised tests that include obscure unit conversions benefit from a reliable rod-to-metre reference.
Geographic Information Systems professionals digitising historical maps, georeferencing vintage surveys, or converting old cadastral data to modern coordinate systems routinely encounter rod and chain measurements. Accurate rod-to-metre conversion is essential for correctly scaling historical maps, placing boundary markers, and ensuring that digitised historical land data aligns precisely with modern GPS-referenced layers in GIS platforms used for urban planning, environmental assessment, and heritage mapping.
Core facts to remember: 1 rod = 5.0292 m = 16.5 ft = 5.5 yd = 198 inches. Survey chain relationships: 4 rods = 1 chain = 20.1168 m = 66 ft. 40 rods = 1 furlong = 201.168 m = 220 yd. 320 rods = 1 mile = 1,609.344 m. 100 rods = 502.92 m ≈ 0.5 km. For area: 1 acre = 160 square rods = 4,840 sq yd = 4,046.856 m².
The same length unit has three different historical names — all equal to exactly 5.0292 metres — which can cause confusion when reading old documents.
The most commonly used name in the United States, Canada, and modern references. The abbreviation "rd" is standard. The term "rod" derives from the physical measuring stick (a wooden rod or staff) historically used by surveyors in the field. US land records, township surveys, and the US Public Land Survey System (PLSS) use "rods" as the standard descriptor for this 16.5-foot measurement unit.
The term "pole" was widely used in England and in older British Commonwealth records. Exactly the same length as a rod: 1 pole = 5.0292 m = 16.5 ft. English and early Australian land deeds frequently use "poles" in boundary descriptions. The abbreviation "p" is used in some historical documents, though "po" or "pole" written out is also common. When you see "poles" in a survey description, it means the same measurement as "rods."
The term "perch" was traditional in Ireland and parts of Britain, and appears in many 17th–19th-century Irish and British land records. It refers to the same 5.0292 m length. Note: a "square perch" (1 perch × 1 perch = 25.293 m²) is also used as an area unit in old records. When interpreting historical documents, always check whether "perch" refers to a linear measurement (5.0292 m) or a square area measurement (25.293 m²).
While the modern rod is fixed at 5.0292 m (16.5 feet), historical pre-standardisation rods varied by region. The "old English" rod of 15 feet, various German Ruten of different lengths, and the "woodland rod" of 18 feet all existed in historical documents before the 18th-century standardisation. When interpreting survey documents predating the 1700s or from non-English regional sources, verify which "rod" definition was used locally — our converter uses the modern international standard of 5.0292 m, valid for all post-1959 applications and most post-18th-century English land records.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides authoritative definitions for the rod (16.5 feet = 5.0292 m), chain, furlong, and other traditional survey units. NIST Handbook 44 and the NIST Guide to SI Units confirm the exact metric equivalents used in our converter — essential for engineers, surveyors, and legal metrology applications requiring verified unit definitions.
Visit NIST →The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administers the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which laid out the US land grid using township, range, and section measurements based on chains and rods. Historical PLSS records still in use today for property titles and boundary surveys contain rod-based measurements that must be converted to metric or decimal feet for modern GIS and engineering applications.
Visit BLM →Explore the full library of free unit converters on ConceteMetric.com — covering length, weight, pressure, energy, volume, time, area, temperature, and more. All tools are mobile-friendly, scientifically accurate, and completely free to use throughout 2026.
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