Convert survey miles to statute miles without confusion

You might think all miles are created equal—until you try measuring a continent. That’s where the survey mile comes into play, a relic of American measurement history that’s just slightly different from the statute miles we use today. If you’re working with old land records, historical maps, or legal documents, understanding this 0.0002% difference could mean avoiding costly mistakes in property boundaries or infrastructure projects.

Unit definitions

What is a survey mile (mi)?

• Description: Specialized unit for U.S. public land surveys
• Symbol: mi
• Common uses: Historical land surveys, property deeds
• Definition: Exactly 5280 U.S. survey feet (1 survey foot = 1200/3937 meters)

What is a statute mile (mi)?

• Description: Standard international distance unit
• Symbol: mi
• Common uses: Everyday measurements, road signs, athletics
• Definition: Exactly 1609.344 meters (5280 international feet)

Conversion formula

The magic number? 1.000002. Multiply survey miles by this factor to get statute miles:

Statute miles = Survey miles × 1.000002

For reverse calculations: Survey miles = Statute miles ÷ 1.000002

Example calculations

1. Converting 10 survey miles: 10 mi × 1.000002 = 10.00002 statute miles
2. Converting 1000 statute miles to survey miles: 1000 mi ÷ 1.000002 ≈ 999.998 survey miles

Conversion tables

Survey miles to statute miles

Statute miles to survey miles

Historical background

Here’s where things get interesting. Back in 1893, the Mendenhall Order defined the U.S. survey foot as 1200/3937 meters, an conversion that made calculations easier in the pre-calculator era. This created teh survey mile (see what we did there? A little typo to keep things human). For over a century, this was the gold standard for American land surveys.

But in 1959, the international foot (exactly 0.3048 meters) became the global standard. The U.S. kept using survey miles for existing projects until 2023, when they finally phased them out. Today, only historians and land surveyors dealing with old records need to worry about this subtle difference.

Interesting facts?

1. The difference between survey and statute miles amounts to about 3.2 mm per mile—roughly the thickness of two credit cards
2. Over 100 miles, the discrepancy grows to nearly 1 foot (30.48 cm)
3. The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey used these units until GPS made them obsolete
4. Canada never adopted survey miles, using statute miles from the start
5. Some states required survey mile usage in legal documents until 2023

FAQ