How to Convert Customary Length
Customary length in the United States is measured in inches, feet, yards and miles. These units of measurement are described as customary simply because their use, over time, has become an accepted convention for describing the quality of length. The process of converting one customary unit to another is simplified by the relationship of the measures, since each unit is based on a multiple of smaller units, down to the level of the most basic, which is the inch.
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Instructions
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How to Convert Customary Length
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Convert a mile to yards by multiplying the mile by 1,760, as there are 1,760 yards in one mile. Convert a mile to feet by multiplying the mile by 5,280, since one mile equals 5,280 feet. Convert a mile to inches by multiplying the mile by 5,280 (the number of feet in a mile) and then multiplying that result by 12, the number of inches in a foot; one mile equals 63,360 inches.
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Convert a yard to feet by multiplying by 3, as there are 3 feet in a yard. Convert a yard to inches by first multiplying by 3 (the number of feet in a yard) and then multiplying the result by 12, the number of inches in a foot. Convert a yard to miles by dividing the yard by 1,760, the number of yards in a mile; one yard equals 0.0005.682 miles
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Convert a foot to inches by multiplying by 12, the number of inches in a foot. Convert a foot to yards by dividing the foot by 3, the number of feet in a yard. Convert foot to miles by dividing the foot by 5,280, the number of feet in a mile. A foot equals 0.0001894 mile.
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Convert the inch to feet by dividing the foot by 12, the number of inches in a foot. Convert the inch to yards by dividing the inch by 36, the number of inches in a yard. Convert the inch to miles by dividing the inch by 12, the number of inches in a foot, then dividing that result by 5,280, the number of feet in a mile. An inch equals 0.00001578 mile.
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Tips & Warnings
Inches are smaller than feet, which are smaller than yards, which are smaller than miles: when converting from smaller units to larger units, divide. When converting from larger units to smaller, for example, from miles to yards, multiply
English customary units include the rod (5-1/2 yards) and the furlong (40 rods, or 220 yards). These measurements appear in some early American land deeds and records.
