Furlong vs. Mile — What's the Difference?

Associated with the Imperial system of measurement, though not widely utilized today.

Originates from the Roman measurement mille passus, indicating a thousand paces.

A measure used in agriculture for field lengths in the past.

Part of the Imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurements.

A historical unit of measurement that is rarely used in modern times.

A unit of length equal to 5280 feet or about 1609 meters, widely used in the United States and the UK.

A unit of length equal to 220 yards or 660 feet, traditionally used in horse racing.

A standard measure for distance in road signs, athletics, and maps.

An old English measure of distance, now mostly obsolete except in specific contexts.

An essential unit in transportation and navigation.

A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. In the United States some states use older definitions for surveying purposes, leading to variations in the length of the furlong of two parts per million, or about 0.4 millimetre (1⁄64 inch).

The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and US customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English feet, or 1,760 yards. The statute mile was standardised between the British Commonwealth and the United States by the international agreement in 1959, when it was formally redefined with respect to SI units as exactly 1,609.344 metres.

An eighth of a mile, 220 yards.

A unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1.609 kilometres).

A unit for measuring distance, equal to 1/8 mile (201 meters).

A very long way or a very great amount

A unit of distance equal to one-eighth of a mile (220 yards, or 201.168 metres), now mainly used in measuring distances in farmland and horse racing.

By a great amount or a long way

(dated)

Abbr. mi. or mi A unit of length equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards (1,609 meters), used in the United States and other English-speaking countries. Also called land mile, statute mile. See Table at measurement.

A unit of land area one furlong (distance) square (ten acres, or about four hectares).

A nautical mile.

An undefined portion of an unenclosed field.

An air mile.

(historical) stadion

(Sports) A race that is one mile long.

Synonym of headland

A relatively great distance

Synonym of land

The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards.

A measure of length; the eighth part of a mile; forty rods; two hundred and twenty yards.

Any of several customary units of length derived from the 1593 English statute mile of 8 furlongs, equivalent to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards of various precise values.

A unit of length equal to 220 yards

Any of many customary units of length derived from the Roman mile (mille passus) of 8 stades or 5,000 Roman feet.

The Scandinavian mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 10 kilometers defined in 1889.

Any of many customary units of length from other measurement systems of roughly similar values, as the Chinese (里) or Arabic mile (al-mīl).

(travel) An airline mile in a frequent flyer program.

(informal) Any similarly large distance.

(slang) A race of 1 mile's length; a race of around 1 mile's length (usually 1500 or 1600 meters)

(slang) One mile per hour, as a measure of speed.

A certain measure of distance, being equivalent in England and the United States to 320 poles or rods, or 5,280 feet.

A unit of length equal to 1760 yards

A unit of length used in navigation; equivalent to the distance spanned by one minute of arc in latitude; 1,852 meters

A large distance;

A former British unit of length once used in navigation; equivalent to 1828.8 meters (6000 feet)

A British unit of length equivalent to 1,853.18 meters (6,082 feet)

An ancient Roman unit of length equivalent to 1620 yards

A Swedish unit of length equivalent to 10 km

A footrace extending one mile;

While both measure distance, they are not interchangeable due to their different lengths; conversion is required.

Furlongs are used in horse racing due to historical tradition and the specific needs of the sport.

There are 8 furlongs in a mile.

The furlong is recognized but not widely used internationally, with its use mostly limited to specific contexts like horse racing.

A furlong is a unit of distance equal to 220 yards or 660 feet, traditionally used in agriculture and horse racing.

A mile is a unit of length equal to 5280 feet or about 1609 meters, widely used for measuring distances.

No, furlongs are not typically used in modern navigation, which favors miles and kilometers.

The mile is predominantly used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries using the Imperial system.

Furlongs are part of the Imperial measurement system, though less commonly used today.

The use of miles has evolved from Roman measurements to a standard unit in transportation and navigation.

The furlong originates from Old English agriculture, while the mile comes from Roman distances.

The furlong holds historical significance in agriculture, where it was used to measure field lengths.

The mile is a key distance in athletics, especially in races like the mile run and as a part of marathon distances.

The mile has become more common due to its practicality for measuring longer distances in everyday life.

Some countries, particularly in the UK and Ireland, use both units in specific contexts like horse racing and road measurements.