Convert Length from US Survey Feet (ft-us) to other units

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US Survey Foot Conversion Formulas

US Survey Foot to Nanometer Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Nanometer (nm), use the following formula:

Nanometer (nm)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 109× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 304800609.6× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Micrometer Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Micrometer (μm), use the following formula:

Micrometer m)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 106× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 304800.6096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Millimeter Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Millimeter (mm), use the following formula:

Millimeter (mm)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 1000× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 304.8006096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Centimeter Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Centimeter (cm), use the following formula:

Centimeter (cm)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 100× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 30.48006096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Decimeter Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Decimeter (dm), use the following formula:

Decimeter (dm)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 10× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 3.048006096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Meter Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Meter (m), use the following formula:

Meter (m)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.3048006096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Kilometer Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Kilometer (km), use the following formula:

Kilometer (km)

= 1.000002 × 0.3048 × 11000× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.0003048006096× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

With 0.3048 is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).


US Survey Foot to Mil Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Mil (mil), use the following formula:

Mil (mil)

= 1.000002 × 12000× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 12000.024× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Inch Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Inch (in), use the following formula:

Inch (in)

= 1.000002 × 12× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 12.000024× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Yard Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Yard (yd), use the following formula:

Yard (yd)

= 1.000002 × 13× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.333334× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Foot Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Foot (ft), use the following formula:

Foot (ft)

= 1.000002× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Fathom Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Fathom (fathom), use the following formula:

Fathom (fathom)

= 1.000002 × 16× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.166667× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Mile Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Mile (mi), use the following formula:

Mile (mi)

= 1.000002 × 15280× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.00018939431818181818182× US Survey Foot (ft-us)


US Survey Foot to Nautical Mile Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Nautical Mile (nMi), use the following formula:

Nautical Mile (nMi)

= 1.000002 × 16076.12× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

= 0.00016457904057194393791× US Survey Foot (ft-us)

What is a US Survey Foot (ft-us)?

The US Survey Foot is a unit of length historically used for land surveying in the United States.

It is very close in length to the international foot, equaling approximately 1.000002 international feet (ft). The plural form is US Survey Feet.


Where Did the US Survey Foot Come From?

The origin of the US Survey Foot dates back to the Mendenhall Order of 1893. This order defined the relationship between the meter and US customary units.

It established that 1 meter is precisely equal to 39.37 inches. From this relationship, the US Survey Foot was derived, defined as 1200/3937 meters.

This definition differs slightly from the international foot, which was established in 1959 and is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters.


Why Was the US Survey Foot Replaced?

To simplify measurements and prevent confusion, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) made a critical change.

They officially retired the U.S. Survey Foot on December 31, 2022.

Surveying and mapping applications in the United States will now use the international foot. This critical change helps unify the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and prevents costly errors in large-scale projects.


Why Did This Small Difference Cause Big Problems?

While the difference between a US Survey Foot and an international foot is minuscule—only about two parts per million—it becomes significant over large distances.

For every mile, the discrepancy adds up to approximately 1/8 inch.

This minor error may not be significant for a backyard fence. However, for massive construction projects and infrastructure development, such as bridges that cross state lines, the accumulated error can lead to severe misalignments and costly mistakes.