Statute Mile: Glossary and Deep-Dive Definitions

Statute Mile

A statute mile is a legally defined unit of length, exactly 5,280 feet (1,760 yards or 1,609.344 meters). It is the standard mile used in the United States and United Kingdom for land-based measurements, road signage, legal land descriptions, and mapping. The statute mile’s legal definition originated in England’s Statute of 1592, which aligned the mile with 8 furlongs, reflecting the agricultural and surveying heritage of the measurement system.

The statute mile is integral to property law, highway systems, athletics (such as the mile run), and appears in regulations by agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for specific contexts. It is distinct from:

• The nautical mile (1,852 meters), used in maritime and aviation navigation.
• The US survey mile (1,609.347219 meters), used historically in American land surveys.

The statute mile is referenced in legal documents, plats, and mapping, and remains a fixture in US and UK culture. Its adoption and standardization were cemented by the 1959 international agreement defining the yard as 0.9144 meters, thereby setting the mile at exactly 1,609.344 meters.

Statute Mile Equivalents

Furlong

A furlong is a traditional unit of length, defined as 660 feet (201.168 meters). Historically, it represented the length of a furrow in a plowed field. Eight furlongs make one statute mile. While largely obsolete outside of horse racing and some land records, the furlong’s legacy persists in the structure of land division and the definition of the mile.

Nautical Mile

A nautical mile is standardized at 1,852 meters (approximately 6,076.1 feet or 1.15078 statute miles), and is used globally in marine and air navigation. One nautical mile corresponds to one minute of latitude, making it indispensable for navigation on the curved surface of the earth.

Nautical Mile Equivalents

| 1 nautical mile | 1,852 meters | 6,076.1 feet | ≈ 1.15078 statute miles |

US Survey Mile

The US survey mile is a legacy surveying unit defined as 5,280 survey feet (1,609.347219 meters). The difference with the statute mile (about 3.2 millimeters per mile) is negligible in most contexts but relevant in large-scale surveys. The US retired the survey mile for most official purposes in 2022, though it remains in older documents and plats.

Acre

An acre is an area unit equal to 43,560 square feet (4,046.85642 square meters), traditionally one furlong by one chain. There are 640 acres in a square mile. Acres are widely used in US and UK land measurement, real estate, and agriculture.

Yard

A yard is 3 feet or 0.9144 meters. There are 1,760 yards in a statute mile. Standardized in 1959, the yard is common in everyday measurement, sports, and fabric sales in imperial unit countries.

Meter

A meter (metre, m) is the SI base unit of length, defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds. One statute mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters.

Kilometer

A kilometer (km) is 1,000 meters or about 0.621371 statute miles. Used globally for road distances, mapping, and aviation (outside the US and UK).

Chain (Gunter’s Chain)

A chain is a historic surveying unit of 66 feet (20.1168 meters). 80 chains equal one statute mile. The chain’s subdivisions facilitated simple calculations in early land division.

Square Mile

A square mile is the area of a square with sides one statute mile long (640 acres or 2.58999 square kilometers). Used for large land areas, cities, counties, and natural reserves.

Mile Marker

A mile marker is a physical sign placed at one-mile intervals along highways or trails, indicating distance from a reference point. In the US, these use the statute mile. Vital for navigation, emergency response, and route planning.

International Mile

The international mile is synonymous with the statute mile, set at 1,609.344 meters by the 1959 international agreement.

Roman Mile

The Roman mile (mille passuum) was about 1,479 meters (5,000 Roman feet), foundational to later European measurement systems.

Irish Mile

The Irish mile was 2,240 yards (2,048 meters), about 1.27 statute miles, used in Ireland until the 19th century.

Scots Mile

The Scots mile was 1,976 yards (1,807 meters), about 1.12 statute miles, used in Scotland until the mid-18th century.

Metric Mile

The metric mile is an athletic term for 1,500 meters, slightly shorter than the statute mile, used for middle-distance races internationally.

Mile Run

The mile run covers exactly 1,609.344 meters (one statute mile), a classic track event still recognized by World Athletics for record purposes.

Mile Visibility (Aviation Context)

Mile visibility refers to the use of statute miles to report horizontal visibility at airports in the US and UK. For example, a METAR visibility of “5 miles” means an object can be seen from five statute miles away.

Legal Mile

A legal mile is the statute mile as defined by law, used in all official property and boundary descriptions in the US and UK.

Imperial System

The imperial system is the UK-originated system of measurement (established 1824), including the statute mile, yard, foot, and inch. Used in the UK and some Commonwealth countries.

US Customary System

The US customary system is the American adaptation of English units, with the statute mile as its primary unit for land distances.

Standardization (1959 Agreement)

The 1959 international agreement standardized the yard at 0.9144 meters, making the statute mile precisely 1,609.344 meters and harmonizing measurements across countries.

Mile Conversion Formulae

Conversions:

• Miles to feet: statute miles × 5,280 = feet
• Miles to meters: statute miles × 1,609.344 = meters
• Miles to kilometers: statute miles × 1.609344 = kilometers
• Feet to miles: feet ÷ 5,280 = statute miles
• Miles to nautical miles: statute miles ÷ 1.15078 = nautical miles

ICAO and Units of Measurement

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) sets aviation standards, recommending SI units but permitting statute miles for visibility and road distances in the US and UK. Nautical miles are standard for navigation.

Mile in Open Water Swimming

In open water swimming, the statute mile (1,609.344 meters) is a standard race distance in the US and UK, such as the “Midmar Mile.” Internationally, distances may be rounded to 1,500 meters (metric mile).

Key Takeaways

• The statute mile is a legal, standardized unit for land measurement in the US and UK.
• It is distinct from the nautical mile and US survey mile.
• Used in property law, mapping, road signage, athletics, and some aviation contexts.
• Standardized globally in 1959 to exactly 1,609.344 meters.
• Conversion to other units is straightforward due to this precise definition.
• Still referenced in athletics (mile run), open water swimming, and everyday use in the US and UK.

Further Reading

• NIST – The Mile: A Brief History
• FAA – Aeronautical Information Manual
• ICAO Annex 5 – Units of Measurement
• UK National Archives – Weights and Measures Act 1985