Convert League (Statute) (st.league) to Chain (ch) instantly.
About these units
League (Statute) (st.league)
The statute league was historically defined as 3 statute miles (~4.828 km). It originated as a measure of distance a person could travel on foot in about an hour. Leagues were widely used in exploration, mapping, and maritime navigation prior to the universal adoption of standardized miles and kilometers. They also appear extensively in literature, conveying narrative distances in a way more relatable to the human scale. Though obsolete in modern usage, the statute league provides cultural and historical context for maps, journals, and records from the 16th through 19th centuries.
Chain (ch)
A chain is equal to 66 feet or 4 rods, and it was standardized by surveyor Edmund Gunter in the 17th century. "Gunter's chain," consisting of 100 metal links, became the backbone of land surveying in the English-speaking world for centuries. Its convenience stems from simple arithmetic: 10 square chains make an acre, making land area calculations straightforward. Railroads, farmland, and city parcels across the United States and the Commonwealth nations were once laid out using chains, so the unit appears in countless historical records. Even today, some legal property descriptions still reference chain-based measurements, making the unit relevant for modern surveyors who interpret old maps. Although high-precision digital equipment has replaced physical chains, the unit's structural role in land division ensures its lasting importance.