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.
The fathom, an intriguing unit of length measurement, is primarily used in nautical contexts to measure water depth. Originally derived from the Old English word “fæðm,” meaning “to embrace,” it represents the span of a person’s outstretched arms, approximately six feet. This makes it a convenient measurement for sailors in the past who used to determine depth using a weighted rope called a “lead line.”
Following centuries of maritime tradition, the fathom remains a vital tool in oceanography and the maritime industry. It’s fascinating to note that it also plays a symbolic role, metaphorically plunging into “fathomless” depths to denote the mysteries of the sea. While modern technology has advanced far beyond lead lines, the fathom remains a cherished part of nautical lexicon.
| US Survey Feet | Fathoms |
|---|---|
0
ft-us
|
0
fathom
|
1
ft-us
|
0.166667
fathom
|
2
ft-us
|
0.333334
fathom
|
3
ft-us
|
0.500001
fathom
|
4
ft-us
|
0.666668
fathom
|
5
ft-us
|
0.833335
fathom
|
6
ft-us
|
1
fathom
|
7
ft-us
|
1.16667
fathom
|
8
ft-us
|
1.33334
fathom
|
9
ft-us
|
1.5
fathom
|
10
ft-us
|
1.66667
fathom
|
11
ft-us
|
1.83334
fathom
|
12
ft-us
|
2
fathom
|
13
ft-us
|
2.16667
fathom
|
14
ft-us
|
2.33334
fathom
|
15
ft-us
|
2.50001
fathom
|
16
ft-us
|
2.66667
fathom
|
17
ft-us
|
2.83334
fathom
|
18
ft-us
|
3.00001
fathom
|
19
ft-us
|
3.16667
fathom
|
20
ft-us
|
3.33334
fathom
|
21
ft-us
|
3.5
fathom
|
22
ft-us
|
3.66667
fathom
|
23
ft-us
|
3.83334
fathom
|
24
ft-us
|
4
fathom
|
25
ft-us
|
4.16668
fathom
|
26
ft-us
|
4.33334
fathom
|
27
ft-us
|
4.5
fathom
|
28
ft-us
|
4.66668
fathom
|
29
ft-us
|
4.83334
fathom
|
30
ft-us
|
5.00001
fathom
|
31
ft-us
|
5.16668
fathom
|
32
ft-us
|
5.33334
fathom
|
33
ft-us
|
5.50001
fathom
|
34
ft-us
|
5.66668
fathom
|
35
ft-us
|
5.83335
fathom
|
36
ft-us
|
6.00001
fathom
|
37
ft-us
|
6.16668
fathom
|
38
ft-us
|
6.33335
fathom
|
39
ft-us
|
6.50001
fathom
|
40
ft-us
|
6.66668
fathom
|
41
ft-us
|
6.83335
fathom
|
42
ft-us
|
7.00001
fathom
|
43
ft-us
|
7.16668
fathom
|
44
ft-us
|
7.33335
fathom
|
45
ft-us
|
7.50002
fathom
|
46
ft-us
|
7.66668
fathom
|
47
ft-us
|
7.83335
fathom
|
48
ft-us
|
8.00002
fathom
|
49
ft-us
|
8.16668
fathom
|
50
ft-us
|
8.33335
fathom
|
51
ft-us
|
8.50002
fathom
|
52
ft-us
|
8.66668
fathom
|
53
ft-us
|
8.83335
fathom
|
54
ft-us
|
9.00002
fathom
|
55
ft-us
|
9.16669
fathom
|
56
ft-us
|
9.33335
fathom
|
57
ft-us
|
9.50002
fathom
|
58
ft-us
|
9.66669
fathom
|
59
ft-us
|
9.83335
fathom
|
60
ft-us
|
10.00002
fathom
|
61
ft-us
|
10.16669
fathom
|
62
ft-us
|
10.33335
fathom
|
63
ft-us
|
10.50002
fathom
|
64
ft-us
|
10.66669
fathom
|
65
ft-us
|
10.83336
fathom
|
66
ft-us
|
11.00002
fathom
|
67
ft-us
|
11.16669
fathom
|
68
ft-us
|
11.33336
fathom
|
69
ft-us
|
11.50002
fathom
|
70
ft-us
|
11.66669
fathom
|
71
ft-us
|
11.83336
fathom
|
72
ft-us
|
12.00002
fathom
|
73
ft-us
|
12.16669
fathom
|
74
ft-us
|
12.33336
fathom
|
75
ft-us
|
12.50003
fathom
|
76
ft-us
|
12.66669
fathom
|
77
ft-us
|
12.83336
fathom
|
78
ft-us
|
13.00003
fathom
|
79
ft-us
|
13.16669
fathom
|
80
ft-us
|
13.33336
fathom
|
81
ft-us
|
13.50003
fathom
|
82
ft-us
|
13.66669
fathom
|
83
ft-us
|
13.83336
fathom
|
84
ft-us
|
14.00003
fathom
|
85
ft-us
|
14.1667
fathom
|
86
ft-us
|
14.33336
fathom
|
87
ft-us
|
14.50003
fathom
|
88
ft-us
|
14.6667
fathom
|
89
ft-us
|
14.83336
fathom
|
90
ft-us
|
15
fathom
|
91
ft-us
|
15.1667
fathom
|
92
ft-us
|
15.33336
fathom
|
93
ft-us
|
15.50003
fathom
|
94
ft-us
|
15.6667
fathom
|
95
ft-us
|
15.83337
fathom
|
96
ft-us
|
16.00003
fathom
|
97
ft-us
|
16.1667
fathom
|
98
ft-us
|
16.33337
fathom
|
99
ft-us
|
16.50003
fathom
|
100
ft-us
|
16.6667
fathom
|
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