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To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Foot (ft), use the following formula:
Let's convert 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Foot (ft).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) is equal to Foot (ft).
Here are some quick reference conversions from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Foot (ft):
| US Survey Feet | Feet |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 ft-us | ft |
| 0.001 ft-us | ft |
| 0.1 ft-us | ft |
| 1 ft-us | ft |
| 2 ft-us | ft |
| 3 ft-us | ft |
| 4 ft-us | ft |
| 5 ft-us | ft |
| 6 ft-us | ft |
| 7 ft-us | ft |
| 8 ft-us | ft |
| 9 ft-us | ft |
| 10 ft-us | ft |
| 20 ft-us | ft |
| 30 ft-us | ft |
| 40 ft-us | ft |
| 50 ft-us | ft |
| 100 ft-us | ft |
| 1000 ft-us | ft |
| 10000 ft-us | ft |
For all Length converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The foot (ft) is a standard unit of length in the Imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurement.
The plural form is feet.
There are exactly 12 inches in a foot.
This fundamental conversion is the cornerstone of the Imperial and U.S. customary systems. It's a standard used everywhere, from measuring personal height to completing construction projects.
Additionally, it's helpful to know that 3 feet make one yard.
The origin of the "foot" as a unit of measurement is quite literal—it was historically based on the average length of a human foot.
Ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, often used body parts as a basis for measurement.
Because the actual length of a person's foot could vary, so did the measurement. This led to many inconsistencies until the foot was officially standardized.
Although most of the world uses the metric system, the foot is still an official unit of length in the United States.
It is also commonly used in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, particularly for measuring height, altitude, and property dimensions.
To establish a global standard, the international foot was defined in 1959 as being exactly 0.3048 meters.
This precise conversion is crucial for international science, trade, and engineering.