Convert Rod to Fathom
1 rod = 2.75 fathom (ftm). For example, 10 rod = 27.5 fathom and 100 rod = 275 fathom. Type any value below to convert rod to fathom both ways — it runs entirely in your browser.
Quick answer: Rod to Fathom
1 Rod = 2.75 Fathom (rd → ftm). To convert rod to fathom, multiply by 2.75. To convert fathom to rod, multiply by 0.3636364. The converter at the top does this instantly and both ways; the sections below give the formula, worked examples, a full conversion chart and answers to the most common rod-to-fathom questions.
How to convert Rod to Fathom
To convert rod to fathom, multiply the number of rod by the conversion factor 2.75, because 1 rd = 2.75 ftm. The conversion is linear, so the same factor works for any value — whole numbers, decimals or fractions. For the reverse direction, 1 ftm = 0.3636364 rd, so you divide by 2.75 (or multiply by 0.3636364) to turn fathom back into rod.
ftm = rd × 2.75 ·
rd = ftm × 0.3636364
- Write down the value you want to convert, in rod.
- Multiply it by 2.75.
- The result is the same area/length/quantity expressed in fathom.
Rod to Fathom — worked examples
Each row shows the exact arithmetic so you can follow the conversion step by step. For example, 5 rod is 13.75 fathom because 5 rd × 2.75 = 13.75 ftm.
| Rod | Calculation | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| 1 rd | 1 rd × 2.75 = 2.75 ftm | 2.75 ftm |
| 2 rd | 2 rd × 2.75 = 5.5 ftm | 5.5 ftm |
| 3 rd | 3 rd × 2.75 = 8.25 ftm | 8.25 ftm |
| 5 rd | 5 rd × 2.75 = 13.75 ftm | 13.75 ftm |
| 7 rd | 7 rd × 2.75 = 19.25 ftm | 19.25 ftm |
| 10 rd | 10 rd × 2.75 = 27.5 ftm | 27.5 ftm |
| 12 rd | 12 rd × 2.75 = 33 ftm | 33 ftm |
| 15 rd | 15 rd × 2.75 = 41.25 ftm | 41.25 ftm |
| 20 rd | 20 rd × 2.75 = 55 ftm | 55 ftm |
| 25 rd | 25 rd × 2.75 = 68.75 ftm | 68.75 ftm |
| 50 rd | 50 rd × 2.75 = 137.5 ftm | 137.5 ftm |
| 100 rd | 100 rd × 2.75 = 275 ftm | 275 ftm |
Common Rod to Fathom conversions
These are the rod-to-fathom values people look up most often. Every figure is computed from the exact factor, so you can rely on them for quick reference:
- 1 rod = 2.75 fathom
- 2 rod = 5.5 fathom
- 2.5 rod = 6.875 fathom
- 3 rod = 8.25 fathom
- 4 rod = 11 fathom
- 5 rod = 13.75 fathom
- 6 rod = 16.5 fathom
- 7 rod = 19.25 fathom
- 8 rod = 22 fathom
- 9 rod = 24.75 fathom
- 10 rod = 27.5 fathom
- 12 rod = 33 fathom
- 15 rod = 41.25 fathom
- 20 rod = 55 fathom
- 25 rod = 68.75 fathom
- 30 rod = 82.5 fathom
- 50 rod = 137.5 fathom
- 75 rod = 206.25 fathom
- 100 rod = 275 fathom
- 200 rod = 550 fathom
- 500 rod = 1,375 fathom
- 1000 rod = 2,750 fathom
Rod to Fathom conversion chart (both directions)
The chart below converts rod to fathom and fathom to rod side by side, so it works whichever way you need. 1 rod = 2.75 fathom, and 1 fathom = 0.3636364 rod.
| Rod → Fathom | Fathom → Rod |
|---|---|
| 0.25 rd = 0.6875 ftm | 0.25 ftm = 0.09090909 rd |
| 0.5 rd = 1.375 ftm | 0.5 ftm = 0.1818182 rd |
| 1 rd = 2.75 ftm | 1 ftm = 0.3636364 rd |
| 2 rd = 5.5 ftm | 2 ftm = 0.7272727 rd |
| 3 rd = 8.25 ftm | 3 ftm = 1.090909 rd |
| 4 rd = 11 ftm | 4 ftm = 1.454545 rd |
| 5 rd = 13.75 ftm | 5 ftm = 1.818182 rd |
| 6 rd = 16.5 ftm | 6 ftm = 2.181818 rd |
| 7 rd = 19.25 ftm | 7 ftm = 2.545455 rd |
| 8 rd = 22 ftm | 8 ftm = 2.909091 rd |
| 9 rd = 24.75 ftm | 9 ftm = 3.272727 rd |
| 10 rd = 27.5 ftm | 10 ftm = 3.636364 rd |
| 12 rd = 33 ftm | 12 ftm = 4.363636 rd |
| 15 rd = 41.25 ftm | 15 ftm = 5.454545 rd |
| 20 rd = 55 ftm | 20 ftm = 7.272727 rd |
| 25 rd = 68.75 ftm | 25 ftm = 9.090909 rd |
| 30 rd = 82.5 ftm | 30 ftm = 10.90909 rd |
| 40 rd = 110 ftm | 40 ftm = 14.54545 rd |
| 50 rd = 137.5 ftm | 50 ftm = 18.18182 rd |
| 75 rd = 206.25 ftm | 75 ftm = 27.27273 rd |
| 100 rd = 275 ftm | 100 ftm = 36.36364 rd |
| 150 rd = 412.5 ftm | 150 ftm = 54.54545 rd |
| 200 rd = 550 ftm | 200 ftm = 72.72727 rd |
| 250 rd = 687.5 ftm | 250 ftm = 90.90909 rd |
| 500 rd = 1,375 ftm | 500 ftm = 181.8182 rd |
| 1000 rd = 2,750 ftm | 1000 ftm = 363.6364 rd |
Rod vs Fathom: which is bigger?
A rod is the larger unit: one rod equals 2.75 fathoms. Put another way, you need 2.75 fathoms to make a single rod.
What is a Rod? History, origin and usage
The rod, also called the perch or pole, measures 16.5 feet and was an English land-survey unit at least as old as the 13th century; the Composition of Yards and Perches under Edward I fixed it at 5.5 yards. 'Perch' derives from the Roman pertica (a measuring pole) and 'rod' from the Old English rodd. A charming legend says the rod was set by lining up the left feet of sixteen men leaving church one Sunday.
The rod was widely used for measuring land, fences and field strips, and four rods make a chain. Today it is largely obsolete but survives in some land records and in older allotment and field measurements.
The peculiar 16.5-foot length lets four rods equal one chain and 160 square rods equal one acre. The 'sixteen men's feet' story is folklore, but it neatly captures how body-based the unit's origins were.
What is a Fathom? History, origin and usage
The fathom comes from the Old English faedm, meaning 'outstretched arms' or 'embrace', because it was originally the span of a large man's arms held wide, about six feet. The word's deeper roots mean 'to spread', and from around 1600 'to fathom' also came to mean to take soundings, and figuratively to understand something fully.
The fathom is the traditional unit for water depth in seafaring and still appears on many nautical charts, though metres are now the standard. Six feet make one fathom.
The phrase 'to fathom' a problem comes directly from sailors measuring depth with a knotted, weighted line. Mark Twain took his pen name from the riverboat leadsman's call 'mark twain', meaning two fathoms of safe water.
Convert 1 Rod to other units
It can help to see a rod next to the other units it is commonly compared with. One rod (rd) is equal to:
| 1 Rod equals | Unit |
|---|---|
| 0.0050292 km | Kilometre |
| 5.0292 m | Metre |
| 50.292 dm | Decimetre |
| 502.92 cm | Centimetre |
| 5,029.2 mm | Millimetre |
| 5,029,200 µm | Micrometre |
| 0.003125 mi | Mile |
| 5.5 yd | Yard |
| 16.5 ft | Foot |
| 198 in | Inch |
| 0.002715551 nmi | Nautical Mile |
| 0.025 fur | Furlong |
| 0.25 ch | Chain |
| 25 li | Link |
| 1 pole | Pole |
| 2.75 ftm | Fathom |
| 49.5 hand | Hand |
| 22 span | Span |
| 44 finger | Finger |
| 11 cubit | Cubit |
| 0.825 rope | Rope |
| 2.76606 ken | Ken |
| 0.001041667 lea | League |
| 14,256 pt | Point |
| 3.3618e-11 AU | Astronomical Unit |
| 5.3159e-16 ly | Light-year |
| 0.50292 dam | Decametre |
| 0.050292 hm | Hectometre |
| 0.0009051836 nl | Nautical League |
Convert 1 Fathom to other units
One fathom (ftm) is equal to:
| 1 Fathom equals | Unit |
|---|---|
| 0.0018288 km | Kilometre |
| 1.8288 m | Metre |
| 18.288 dm | Decimetre |
| 182.88 cm | Centimetre |
| 1,828.8 mm | Millimetre |
| 1,828,800 µm | Micrometre |
| 0.001136364 mi | Mile |
| 2 yd | Yard |
| 6 ft | Foot |
| 72 in | Inch |
| 0.000987473 nmi | Nautical Mile |
| 0.009090909 fur | Furlong |
| 0.09090909 ch | Chain |
| 9.090909 li | Link |
| 0.3636364 rd | Rod |
| 0.3636364 pole | Pole |
| 18 hand | Hand |
| 8 span | Span |
| 16 finger | Finger |
| 4 cubit | Cubit |
| 0.3 rope | Rope |
| 1.00584 ken | Ken |
| 0.0003787879 lea | League |
| 5,184 pt | Point |
| 1.2225e-11 AU | Astronomical Unit |
| 1.933e-16 ly | Light-year |
| 0.18288 dam | Decametre |
| 0.018288 hm | Hectometre |
| 0.0003291577 nl | Nautical League |
Tips for converting Rod to Fathom
- To go from rod to fathom, multiply by 2.75; to go back, divide by 2.75 (or multiply by 0.3636364).
- For a quick mental estimate, remember that 1 rod ≈ 2.75 fathom, so 10 rod ≈ 27.5 fathom.
- The converter above keeps full precision; the tables round for readability, so use the tool for exact figures.
- Both fields update live as you type — change either side to convert in that direction.
How to use this Rod to Fathom converter
Type a number into the Rod field and the equivalent in Fathom appears instantly — there is no “convert” button to press and nothing is sent to a server, so it works offline once the page has loaded and is safe for any data. You can also type into the Fathom field to convert the other way (fathom to rod). Use the swap control to flip the two units, and copy the result with a single click. Because the calculation runs in your browser with full floating-point precision, the converter is more exact than the rounded figures shown in the reference chart above — use the chart for quick look-ups and the tool for precise work.
Accuracy and method
Every figure on this page — the formula, the worked examples, the conversion chart and the “convert to other units” tables — is computed from a single verified conversion factor (1 rd = 2.75 ftm), never copied from a hand-typed lookup table that could drift. That factor is derived from each unit’s definition in terms of a common base unit, and an automated check re-verifies all of the site’s factors on every update, so the numbers here stay correct over time. This matters for rod-to-fathom conversions because a small rounding error in a published table compounds quickly at larger quantities; computing from the exact factor avoids that.
The metric units (km, m, cm, mm, µm) are exact by definition, and the imperial units (mile, yard, foot, inch, nautical mile) use their exact international values. Traditional units (hand, span, finger, cubit, rod/pole, link, rope, ken, league) are given at their commonly accepted standard sizes — historical local values sometimes differed, so confirm against a primary source before relying on them for legal or historical work.
Frequently asked questions
- How many fathom are in 1 rod?
- 1 rod = 2.75 fathom (ftm). To convert any number of rod to fathom, multiply by 2.75.
- How do I convert rod to fathom?
- Multiply the number of rod by 2.75. For example, 10 rod = 10 × 2.75 = 27.5 fathom, and 25 rod = 68.75 fathom.
- How many rod are in 1 fathom?
- 1 fathom = 0.3636364 rod. So to convert fathom back to rod, multiply by 0.3636364.
- What is the formula to convert rod to fathom?
- fathom = rod × 2.75. The reverse formula is rod = fathom × 0.3636364.
- How much is 100 rod in fathom?
- 100 rod = 275 fathom. (And 1000 rod = 2,750 fathom.)
- Which is bigger, a rod or a fathom?
- A rod is larger: 1 rod = 2.75 fathom.
- Is this rod to fathom converter accurate?
- Yes — every value is computed from the exact 2.75 ftm per rd factor (not rounded look-up tables), and the factors are re-verified automatically on every update.
- Can I convert fathom to rod too?
- Yes. The converter works both ways — enter a value in either field. 1 fathom = 0.3636364 rod.