Meters to Chains Converter

meter to chain - How to convert m to ch

Converting meters to chains might sound unusual today, but it remains valuable in land surveying, historical mapping, and railway engineering. The chain — a traditional measurement still used in certain contexts — connects modern metric systems with historical imperial scales. Using Jetcalculator’s Length Converter, you can quickly and accurately convert between meters and chains without manual calculations.

Meter and Chain - What do you need? 

The meter (m) is the international standard for length, equal to the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Adopted as part of the metric system in the late 18th century, it is now the foundation for nearly every measurement worldwide. 

For day-to-day conversions, our Meters to Feet Converter can also help bridge metric and imperial systems.

The chain (ch), on the other hand, is an imperial unit used primarily in surveying and land division. One chain equals 66 feet (22 yards), or 20.1168 meters. It was introduced by Edmund Gunter in the 17th century for land surveys and quickly became standard for property measurements, especially in the British Empire and the United States.

How to Convert Meter to Chain

Since 1 chain equals 20.1168 meters, the conversion is straightforward:

Chains(ch) = Meters(m) ÷ 20.1168

For example: 100 meters = 100 ÷ 20.1168 ≈ 4.97 chains.

For instant, error-free results, use Jetcalculator’s Meters to Yards Converter for other common imperial conversions.

Did You Know?

• The meter’s original definition (1793) was one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along a meridian through Paris — designed to create a universal, nature-based unit.

• The railroad industry used chains to measure track distances in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as the unit’s size made calculations simple for large-scale construction.

• In 2020, the Tokyo Skytree — the tallest structure in Japan at 634 meters — was built using precision engineering tools that could align structures down to millimeters, showcasing the meter’s scalability from millimeters to kilometers.

• The Mason-Dixon Line, the historic boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, was surveyed using Gunter’s chains in the 1760s, solidifying the chain’s place in American history.

The Chain’s Role in Land Surveys

During the 18th and 19th centuries, as America expanded westward, surveyors relied on the Gunter’s chain to divide and map millions of acres. One of the most notable projects, the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), used chains to create a grid that defined townships and ranges across much of the United States.

This grid, still referenced in property deeds today, illustrates why the chain, though old-fashioned, remains a critical historical unit in land law and surveying archives.

Conclusion

Converting meter to chain connects the modern metric system with one of the oldest tools in surveying and engineering. With 1 chain equaling 20.1168 meters, this conversion helps professionals, historians, and engineers interpret old maps, land records, and construction documents.

If you need other unit transformations, our conversion calculators make it simple to switch between dozens of metric and imperial systems.