Furlong to Mil/Thou Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

The Furlong (symbol fur) is a unit of length in the imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurement. It is defined as exactly one-eighth of a mile (1/8 mi). This is equivalent to 220 yards (yd), 660 feet (ft), or precisely 201.168 meters (m).

The name "furlong" derives from the Old English words furh (furrow) and lang (long). It originally represented the approximate distance a team of oxen could plow without rest within a typical English open field system. It also related to the traditional size of an acre, which was conceived as an area of land one furlong long and one chain (66 feet) wide. The furlong was standardized as 40 rods (a rod being 5.5 yards) or 10 chains. While historically significant in agriculture and land surveying, its use has greatly diminished with the adoption of metric units and the decline of the imperial system for general measurements.

Although largely obsolete for general use, the furlong persists in specific contexts:

• Horse Racing: Its most prominent modern use is in measuring race distances in countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and Canada. Race lengths are frequently given in furlongs (e.g., a 6-furlong sprint).
• Historical Context: Encountered in historical documents, land deeds, and literature referring to land measurement or travel distances in imperial units.
• Figurative Language: Occasionally used informally or figuratively to denote a distance, though this is rare.
• Myanmar (Burma): The furlong remains in common use in Myanmar as a customary unit alongside the mile.