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Mile (US Survey)

The US survey mile is a unit of length used in land surveying in the United States. It is defined as exactly 5,280 survey feet, with one survey foot equal to 1200/3937 meters (approximately 0.3048006096 meters). This makes the US survey mile equal to about 1,609.3472 meters, slightly longer than the international (statute) mile, which is exactly 1,609.344 meters.

The US survey mile was established to maintain consistency with older land measurement systems based on the Mendenhall Order of 1893. It was commonly used in mapping, legal land descriptions, and public land surveys.

Although the difference between the survey and statute mile is very small (about 3.2 millimeters), it can be significant over large distances. As of 2023, the U.S. has officially retired the survey foot (and survey mile) for most applications, favoring the international foot and mile to standardize measurements.

A statute mile is a unit of length commonly used in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is officially defined as 5,280 feet or 1,609.344 meters. The term "statute mile" distinguishes it from other types of miles, such as the nautical mile. The origin of the statute mile dates back to an Act of Parliament in England in 1593, which standardized the length of the mile. It is primarily used for measuring distances on land, such as in road signs, speed limits, and maps. While many countries have adopted the metric system, the statute mile remains in everyday use in a few countries. In contrast to the nautical mile, which is used for air and sea navigation, the statute mile is mainly applied in land-based contexts. It is also used to calculate speed in miles per hour (mph), especially for vehicles and road travel.