yd to ft-us | Convert Yard to US Survey Foot

Yard to US Survey Foot Conversion Formula Example What is a Yard?Where Did the Yard Come From? A Royal History How Long is a Yard? Metric and Imperial Conversions Where is the Yard Still Used Today?What is a US Survey Foot (ft-us)?Where Did the US Survey Foot Come From?Why Was the US Survey Foot Replaced?Why Did This Small Difference Cause Big Problems?What is the imperial system?Yard to US Survey Foot Conversion Table

Yard to US Survey Foot Conversion Formula

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

$\textbf{ US Survey Foot} \text{ (ft-us)}$

$= 3 \times \frac{1}{1.000002}\times \textbf{ Yard} \text{ (yd)}$

$= 2.999994000011999976\times \textbf{ Yard} \text{ (yd)}$

Example

Let's convert 5 Yard (yd) to US Survey Foot (ft-us).

Using the formula:

$5 \times 2.999994000011999976 = 14.99997000005999988$

Therefore, 5 Yard (yd) is equal to $14.99997000005999988$ US Survey Foot (ft-us).

What is a Yard?

A yard (yd) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement.

A yard is equal to 3 feet (ft) or 36 inches.

Where Did the Yard Come From? A Royal History

The history of the yard is traditionally linked to English monarchs. According to folklore, King Henry I of England (reigned 1100-1135) decreed that a yard should be the distance from the tip of his nose to the end of his outstretched thumb.

While this story is popular, the unit's origins likely date back to the Anglo-Saxons and were later standardized by various royal decrees and physical "yardsticks."

How Long is a Yard? Metric and Imperial Conversions

In 1959, an international agreement defined the yard as precisely 0.9144 meters.

This global standardization of the unit ensures consistent conversions between the imperial and metric systems.

To summarize the key yard conversions:

1 yard = 3 feet
1 yard = 36 inches
1 yard = 0.9144 meters

Where is the Yard Still Used Today?

Although most of the world uses the metric system, the yard remains essential in some places—especially the United States and the United Kingdom.

It's the standard unit in American and Canadian football, commonly used in the textile industry to sell fabric, and often used to measure distances on golf courses.

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.

What is the imperial system?

The imperial system is a system of measurement that was first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824. It's known for using units like inches, feet, pounds, and gallons. While most of the world now uses the metric system, the imperial system remains the official system of measurement in the United States and is still used in specific contexts in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada.

Yard to US Survey Foot Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from Yard (yd) to US Survey Foot (ft-us):

Yards	US Survey Feet
0.000001 yd	$0.000002999994000011999976$ ft-us
0.001 yd	$0.002999994000011999976$ ft-us
0.1 yd	$0.2999994000011999976$ ft-us
1 yd	$2.999994000011999976$ ft-us
2 yd	$5.999988000023999952$ ft-us
3 yd	$8.999982000035999928$ ft-us
4 yd	$11.999976000047999904$ ft-us
5 yd	$14.99997000005999988$ ft-us
6 yd	$17.999964000071999856$ ft-us
7 yd	$20.999958000083999832$ ft-us
8 yd	$23.999952000095999808$ ft-us
9 yd	$26.999946000107999784$ ft-us
10 yd	$29.99994000011999976$ ft-us
20 yd	$59.99988000023999952$ ft-us
30 yd	$89.99982000035999928$ ft-us
40 yd	$119.99976000047999904$ ft-us
50 yd	$149.9997000005999988$ ft-us
100 yd	$299.9994000011999976$ ft-us
1000 yd	$2999.994000011999976$ ft-us
10000 yd	$29999.94000011999976$ ft-us

Convert Length from Yard to Us Survey Foot (yd to ft-us)

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