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A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units. It is equal to one-eighth of a mile or 660 feet or 201.168 metres. “SI” redirects here. ... “km” redirects here. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... U.S. customary units, also known in the United States as English units[1] (but see English unit) or standard units, are units of measurement that are currently used in the USA, in some cases alongside units from SI (the International System of Units — the modern metric system). ... The Imperial units are an irregularly standardized system of units that have been used in the United Kingdom and its former colonies, including the Commonwealth countries. ... A yard (abbreviation: yd) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are at any given moment in time. ... This article is about post-1824 imperial units, see also English unit, U.S. customary units or Avoirdupois. ... U.S. customary units, commonly known in the United States as English units or standard units, are units of measurement that are currently used in the U.S., in some cases alongside units from SI (the International System of Units—the modern metric system). ... “Miles” redirects here. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ...

Five furlongs are approximately 1 kilometre (1.00584 km to be exact). Since the original definition of the metre was one-quarter of one ten-millionth of the circumference of the Earth (along the great circle coincident with the meridian of Longitude passing through Paris), the circumference of the Earth is about 40,000 km or about 200,000 furlongs. “km” redirects here. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... On the earth, a meridian is a north-south line between the North Pole and the South Pole. ... Longitude is the east-west geographic coordinate measurement most commonly utilized in cartography and global navigation. ...

History

The name furlong derives from the Old English words furh (furrow) and lang (long). Dating back at least to the ninth century, it originally referred to the length of the furrow in one acre of a ploughed open field (a medieval communal field which was divided into strips). The system of long furrows arose because turning a team of oxen pulling a heavy plough was difficult. This offset the drainage advantages of short furrows and meant furrows were made as long as possible. An acre is an area that is one furlong long and one chain (22 yards) wide. For this reason, the furlong was once also called an acre's length, though of course in modern usage an area of one acre can be any shape. Old English redirects here. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ... For other uses, see Open-field (disambiguation) The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in places. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ... As a unit of measurement within the Imperial system, the chain is defined as 22 yards, 66 feet, or 4 rods. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ...

The furlong was historically viewed as equivalent to the Roman stade (stadium), which in turn derived from the Greek system. For example the King James bible will use the term "furlong" in place of the Greek "stadion", whereas modern translations will translate into miles in the main text and relate the original numbers in footnotes. The ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Greek system with Egyptian influences. ... The Greek system of weights and measures was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system. ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ...

In the Roman system, there were 625 feet to the stade, eight stade to the mile, and three miles to the league. A league was considered to be the distance a man could walk in one hour, and the mile consisted of 1000 passus (5 feet, or double-step). For other uses, see league. ...

After the fall of Rome, Medieval Europe continued with the Roman system, which proceeded to "diversify" leading to serious complications in trade, taxation, etc. Around the turn of the century of 1300, England by decree standardized a long list of measures. Among the important units of distance and length at the time were foot, yard, rod, furlong and mile. The rod was 5½ yards or 16½ feet (= 3 feet/yard × 5½ yards), and the mile was 8 furlongs, so the definition of the furlong became 40 rods and that of the mile became 5280 feet (= 8 furlongs × 40 rods/furlong × 16½ feet/rod ). A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A yard (abbreviation: yd) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A rod is a unit of length, equal to 5. ... “Miles” redirects here. ...

The official use of furlong was abolished in the United Kingdom under the Weights and Measures Act of 1985, which also abolished from official use many other traditional units of measurement. A Weights and Measures Act is an Act of Parliament determining trade law where the weight or size of the goods being traded are important. ...

Use

The 5 furlong (1006 m) post on Epsom Downs

Today the unit enjoys very limited use. Distances for thoroughbred horse races in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States are still given in miles and furlongs (example). It is heavily used within the rail industry (especially maintenance and repair services) in the UK, due to the legacy measurements and distance markers from when the tracks were first laid down (see milestone). The furlong is a base unit of the humorous FFF System of units. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 138 KB) image description page on the Commons redirects to here - no point in clicking. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 138 KB) image description page on the Commons redirects to here - no point in clicking. ... Epsom Derby, Théodore Géricault, 1821. ... The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed in 18th century England when English mares were bred with imported Arabian stallions to create a distance racer. ... Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey in May 2005. ... A Spanish kilometre stone A milestone on the Boston Post Road in Harvard Square, Massachusetts, USA Slate milestone near Bangor, Wales A milestone or kilometre sign is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in... The Furlong/Firkin/Fortnight (FFF) system is a set of units that uses impractical and outdated measurements. ...

The city of Chicago's street numbering system allots a measure of 800 address units to each mile. Logically, streets were subsequently laid out 8 to the mile. This means that every block in a typical Chicago neighbourhood (in either North/South or East/West direction but rarely both) is approximately one furlong in length. Salt Lake City's blocks are also each a square furlong in the downtown area. However, the blocks are irregular in shape as one moves further out from the centre, but the numbering system remains the same (800 units to each mile) everywhere in Salt Lake County. Bus stops in Ann Arbor, Michigan are about a furlong apart. Blocks in central Logan, Utah, and in large sections of Phoenix, Arizona are similarly a square furlong in extent (eight to a mile, which explains the series of freeway exits: 19th Ave, 27th, 35th, 43rd, 51st, 59th...). City blocks in Melbourne's Hoddle Grid are also one furlong in length. For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... Salt Lake County is a county located in the state of Utah. ... Ann Arbor redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... Melbourne CBD Trees surrounded by buildings - King St. ...