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 inch, once the size of a barleycorn kernel, has fascinating origins. Early English measurement systems based it on the width of a man’s thumb. In the 14th century, King Edward II of England formalized it, defining an inch as the length of three barleycorns laid end to end. Historically, the inch was crucial for countless innovations, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, influencing everything from watchmaking to industrial design.
Today, the inch still plays an integral role in areas like screen sizes and standardized paper dimensions, delighting both tech enthusiasts and everyday users. Interestingly, in surveying, an inch is divided into hundredths in the US, showing its adaptability in precision tasks. Despite the global shift towards the metric system, the inch endures, showcasing its resilience and continued relevance.
| US Survey Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
0
ft-us
|
0
in
|
1
ft-us
|
12.00002
in
|
2
ft-us
|
24.00005
in
|
3
ft-us
|
36.00007
in
|
4
ft-us
|
48.0001
in
|
5
ft-us
|
60.00012
in
|
6
ft-us
|
72.00014
in
|
7
ft-us
|
84.00017
in
|
8
ft-us
|
96.00019
in
|
9
ft-us
|
108.00022
in
|
10
ft-us
|
120.00024
in
|
11
ft-us
|
132.00026
in
|
12
ft-us
|
144.00029
in
|
13
ft-us
|
156.00031
in
|
14
ft-us
|
168.00034
in
|
15
ft-us
|
180.00036
in
|
16
ft-us
|
192.00038
in
|
17
ft-us
|
204.00041
in
|
18
ft-us
|
216.00043
in
|
19
ft-us
|
228.00046
in
|
20
ft-us
|
240.00048
in
|
21
ft-us
|
252.0005
in
|
22
ft-us
|
264.00053
in
|
23
ft-us
|
276.00055
in
|
24
ft-us
|
288.00058
in
|
25
ft-us
|
300
in
|
26
ft-us
|
312.00062
in
|
27
ft-us
|
324.00065
in
|
28
ft-us
|
336.00067
in
|
29
ft-us
|
348.0007
in
|
30
ft-us
|
360.00072
in
|
31
ft-us
|
372.00074
in
|
32
ft-us
|
384.00077
in
|
33
ft-us
|
396.00079
in
|
34
ft-us
|
408.00082
in
|
35
ft-us
|
420.00084
in
|
36
ft-us
|
432.00086
in
|
37
ft-us
|
444.00089
in
|
38
ft-us
|
456.00091
in
|
39
ft-us
|
468.00094
in
|
40
ft-us
|
480.00096
in
|
41
ft-us
|
492.00098
in
|
42
ft-us
|
504.00101
in
|
43
ft-us
|
516.00103
in
|
44
ft-us
|
528.00106
in
|
45
ft-us
|
540.00108
in
|
46
ft-us
|
552.0011
in
|
47
ft-us
|
564.00113
in
|
48
ft-us
|
576.00115
in
|
49
ft-us
|
588.00118
in
|
50
ft-us
|
600.0012
in
|
51
ft-us
|
612.00122
in
|
52
ft-us
|
624.00125
in
|
53
ft-us
|
636.00127
in
|
54
ft-us
|
648.0013
in
|
55
ft-us
|
660.00132
in
|
56
ft-us
|
672.00134
in
|
57
ft-us
|
684.00137
in
|
58
ft-us
|
696.00139
in
|
59
ft-us
|
708.00142
in
|
60
ft-us
|
720.00144
in
|
61
ft-us
|
732.00146
in
|
62
ft-us
|
744.00149
in
|
63
ft-us
|
756.00151
in
|
64
ft-us
|
768.00154
in
|
65
ft-us
|
780.00156
in
|
66
ft-us
|
792.00158
in
|
67
ft-us
|
804.00161
in
|
68
ft-us
|
816.00163
in
|
69
ft-us
|
828.00166
in
|
70
ft-us
|
840.00168
in
|
71
ft-us
|
852.0017
in
|
72
ft-us
|
864.00173
in
|
73
ft-us
|
876.00175
in
|
74
ft-us
|
888.00178
in
|
75
ft-us
|
900.0018
in
|
76
ft-us
|
912.00182
in
|
77
ft-us
|
924.00185
in
|
78
ft-us
|
936.00187
in
|
79
ft-us
|
948.0019
in
|
80
ft-us
|
960.00192
in
|
81
ft-us
|
972.00194
in
|
82
ft-us
|
984.00197
in
|
83
ft-us
|
996.00199
in
|
84
ft-us
|
1008.00202
in
|
85
ft-us
|
1020.00204
in
|
86
ft-us
|
1032.00206
in
|
87
ft-us
|
1044.00209
in
|
88
ft-us
|
1056.00211
in
|
89
ft-us
|
1068.00214
in
|
90
ft-us
|
1080.00216
in
|
91
ft-us
|
1092.00218
in
|
92
ft-us
|
1104.00221
in
|
93
ft-us
|
1116.00223
in
|
94
ft-us
|
1128.00226
in
|
95
ft-us
|
1140.00228
in
|
96
ft-us
|
1152.0023
in
|
97
ft-us
|
1164.00233
in
|
98
ft-us
|
1176.00235
in
|
99
ft-us
|
1188.00238
in
|
100
ft-us
|
1200.0024
in
|
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