Links to Feet Calculator: Convert Instantly

This calculator converts a length in links (surveyor’s chain units) to feet and also shows the result in inches, yards, and meters. Enter the number of links, and you’ll get the equivalent length in feet as the main answer, with the other units listed below for quick reference.

Formula

The conversion is based on the international definition of the surveyor’s link: 1 link = 0.66 feet exactly. The formula for converting links to feet is:

Feet = Links × 0.66

Where:

• Links is the number of surveyor’s links (unit: link, abbreviated “li” or “l”).
• Feet is the resulting length in feet (unit: ft).

For other units, the same base relation gives: 1 link = 7.92 inches, 1 link = 0.22 yards, and 1 link = 0.201168 meters (exactly, based on the international foot of 0.3048 m).

Worked Example

Using the default value of 100 links:

1. Feet = 100 × 0.66 = 66.00 ft
2. Inches = 100 × 7.92 = 792.00 in
3. Yards = 100 × 0.22 = 22.00 yd
4. Meters = 100 × 0.201168 = 20.1168 m ≈ 20.117 m

So 100 links equals 66 feet, which is also 22 yards or about 20.12 meters. This matches the calculator’s output.

What Is a Link? (Background)

The link is a unit of length from the English surveying system, introduced by Edmund Gunter in the early 17th century. It was designed to work with the surveyor’s chain (often called Gunter’s chain), which is 66 feet long and divided into 100 links. Each link is therefore 0.66 feet, or 7.92 inches.

Why 66 feet? Because that chain length made land area calculations easy: 10 square chains equal 1 acre, and 80 chains equal 1 mile. The link was the basic subdivision for measuring smaller distances within a chain, and it remained a standard unit in land surveying for centuries.

Today, the link is rarely used in everyday measurement, but it still appears in older property deeds, rural land records, and some agricultural contexts, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. If you encounter a deed that says “100 links” or “5 chains 20 links,” you’ll need to convert to feet or meters to understand the actual distance.

When to Use This Conversion

You might need to convert links to feet in these situations:

• Reading old property deeds or land surveys that use links and chains.
• Converting historical maps or field notes into modern units for GIS or CAD work.
• Working with agricultural land measurements in countries that still use the chain system.
• Solving textbook problems in surveying or land measurement courses.

In most modern contexts, you’ll use feet, meters, or miles. But when you’re dealing with legacy documents, having a quick conversion tool saves time and prevents errors.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most common error is confusing the surveyor’s link with other units that share the name “link.” There are two distinct links:

• Surveyor’s link (Gunter’s link) = 0.66 feet (used in this calculator).
• Engineer’s link = 1 foot (used in the engineer’s chain, which is 100 feet long).

Always check which link is meant. If a document says “links” without specifying, it’s almost always the surveyor’s link, but if it’s an engineering context, it could be the engineer’s link. If you accidentally use the wrong conversion, your result will be off by a factor of about 1.515 (1/0.66).

Another common mistake is mixing up chains and links. A chain is 100 links, so 5 chains 20 links equals 520 links. Convert the whole number of links to feet, not just the 20.

Rounding errors can also creep in when you convert links to feet and then to meters. The exact conversion to meters is 0.201168 m per link, so 100 links is exactly 20.1168 m. Rounding to 20.12 m is fine for most purposes, but if you’re doing precise land work, keep more decimal places.

Limitations of the Link System

The link system is an old, non-metric unit, and it has a few inherent limitations:

• It’s not part of the International System of Units (SI), so it’s not used in scientific work.
• It’s based on the international foot, which is defined as exactly 0.3048 m. However, some older surveys used the U.S. survey foot (slightly different, about 0.3048006 m). The difference is tiny (about 2 parts per million) but can matter for large land areas.
• It’s not a decimal-friendly unit in the metric sense, though it is decimal within the chain (100 links per chain).

For modern legal land descriptions, most jurisdictions use meters or feet, not links. But if you’re researching historical boundaries, you’ll need to be aware of the exact definition used in the original survey.

Alternatives to Converting Manually

Besides using this calculator, you have other options:

• Use a spreadsheet formula: in Excel or Google Sheets, =A1*0.66 converts links in cell A1 to feet.
• Use a general unit converter app (many support links as an obscure unit).
• Memorize the key conversion: 1 link = 0.66 ft, so 100 links = 66 ft, 1000 links = 660 ft, etc.

For quick mental estimates, remember that a link is about two-thirds of a foot, so 3 links ≈ 2 feet. That’s not exact (3 links = 1.98 ft), but it’s close enough for rough checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many feet is 1 link?

Exactly 0.66 feet. That’s 7.92 inches, or about 20.12 centimeters.

Is a link the same as a chain?

No. A chain is 100 links. So 1 chain = 66 feet. The link is a smaller unit within the chain.

Why is a link 0.66 feet? That seems odd.

Because the surveyor’s chain was designed to be 66 feet long (to make acre calculations simple), and it was divided into 100 equal parts. 66 ÷ 100 = 0.66 feet per link.

How do I convert links to meters without a calculator?

Multiply the number of links by 0.201168. For example, 50 links × 0.201168 = 10.0584 meters. For a rough estimate, multiply by 0.2 (so 50 links ≈ 10 m).

What is the difference between a surveyor’s link and an engineer’s link?

The surveyor’s link is 0.66 feet (part of Gunter’s chain). The engineer’s link is 1 foot (part of the engineer’s chain, which is 100 feet long). They are different units.

Are links still used in land surveying today?

Rarely. Most modern surveys use feet, meters, or GPS coordinates. However, you may still encounter links in older deeds, historical maps, or in some rural areas where traditional units persist.

Related

• Feet to Meter: Exact Conversion & Calculator
• Tidy Up Time 5 Minutes? Quick Clean Guide
• PPM to Molarity Formula and Conversion Examples

in l | Links | links | 100 | 0
out ft | Feet | ft | l * 0.66 | 2
out in | Inches | in | l * 7.92 | 2
out yd | Yards | yd | l * 0.22 | 2
out m | Meters | m | l * 0.201168 | 3