Furlong Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Furlong
The 5-furlong (1,006 m) post on Epsom Downs
General information
Unit system	imperial/US customary
Unit of	length
Conversions
1 furlong in ...	... is equal to ...

imperial/US units	220 yd
metric (SI) units	201.1680 m

A furlong is a way to measure distance. It is part of the imperial and US customary systems. One furlong is the same as 660 feet. There are eight furlongs in one mile.

The History of the Furlong
- Furlong Use Around the World
How Long is a Furlong?
Images for kids
See also

The History of the Furlong

The furlong has been used for a very long time, at least since the 800s. The word "furlong" comes from old English words. These words are furh, which means "furrow," and lang, which means "long."

Originally, a furlong was the length of a furrow in a ploughed field. This field would be one acre in size. An acre is an area that is one furlong long and one chain wide. Because of this, the furlong was sometimes called an acre's length.

Around the year 1300, England made the furlong a standard length. It was set at 40 rods or 660 feet.

Furlong Use Around the World

The length of the furlong was made the same in many countries. These countries included South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. This was done through an agreement called the International Pound and Yard Agreement.

The furlong is no longer used for official measurements in the UK since 1985. However, you might still see it on some road signs in countries like Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Today, the furlong is mostly used in horse racing. Distances for horse races in the UK, Ireland, and Canada are still given in miles and furlongs. Other than that, it is considered an archaic unit. This means it is very old and not used much anymore.