To convert rods to inches, multiply by 198. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating. Exactly 25.4 millimetres since the 1959 international yard agreement.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into inches, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
rods- The amount you are converting, in rods
198- The exact number of inches in one rod
inches- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in rods.
- It is multiplied by 198, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in inches, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
An Olympic pool: 9.94 rd in inches
Take an olympic pool, roughly 9.94 rd. The conversion is a single multiplication — 9.94 × 198 — giving 1968.12 in. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 3936.24 in.
A marathon: 8390 rd in inches
A marathon comes to about 8390 rd. Multiplying by the factor: 8390 × 198 = 1.66122e+06 in. Dividing the answer back by 198 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many inches are in one rod?
Exactly 198. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert rods to inches?
inches = rods × 198. Reversed, rods = inches ÷ 198, which is the same as multiplying by 0.00505050505051.
Which is the bigger unit, the rod or the inch?
The rod. One rod equals 198 inches.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a rod?
Sixteen and a half feet, or a quarter of a chain; it survives in old deeds and fence estimating.
What is a inch?
Exactly 25.4 millimetres since the 1959 international yard agreement.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do rd to in in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 200 instead of using the exact factor 198. At 100 that shortcut gives 20,000 inches, off by 200 inches or about 1.01%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Rods to inches reference tables
| Rods | Inches |
|---|---|
| 0.5 rd | 99 in |
| 1 rd | 198 in |
| 2 rd | 396 in |
| 3 rd | 594 in |
| 5 rd | 990 in |
| 10 rd | 1980 in |
| 20 rd | 3960 in |
| 25 rd | 4950 in |
| 50 rd | 9900 in |
| 75 rd | 14,850 in |
| 100 rd | 19,800 in |
| 250 rd | 49,500 in |
| 500 rd | 99,000 in |
| 1000 rd | 198,000 in |
| 5000 rd | 990,000 in |
Exact factor: 1 rod = 198 inches.
| Quantity | rd | in |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.01702 rd | 3.37 in |
| A door height | 0.404 rd | 80 in |
| An Olympic pool | 9.942 rd | 1969 in |
| The Eiffel Tower | 65.62 rd | 1.299e+04 in |
| A marathon | 8390 rd | 1.661e+06 in |
| Earth’s diameter | 2.534e+06 rd | 5.017e+08 in |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.