Yard facts for kids

The yard (short for yd) is a way to measure length. It's part of the Imperial System and US Customary Units.

The word "yard" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word. It meant a straight stick or rod.

History of the Yard

Bronze Yard No.11 was an important measuring stick for the United States. It was used from 1855 to 1892 as the official standard for length. This special bronze bar was a copy of the British Imperial Standard Yard. The yard was defined by the distance between two tiny lines on gold plugs at a temperature of 62°F (17°C).

For a long time, one yard has always been equal to three feet. But the exact length of a foot has changed many times over history!

In 1959, several countries signed an agreement called the International Yard and Pound Agreement. These countries included the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, the U.S., New Zealand, and Canada. They all agreed that one yard would be exactly 0.9144 meters long. This made it easier for countries to trade and work together using the same measurements.

The United States kept using a slightly different version of the yard for land surveying. They called it the 'Survey Yard'.

How Long is a Yard?

A yard is a specific length. Here's how it compares to other common measurements:

This table shows that one yard is the same as 36 inches, or 3 feet. It's also a little less than one meter.

Where Yards Are Used

You might see yards used in a few places:

• Road Signs: In the United States and the United Kingdom, road signs often show distances in miles and yards. You'll rarely see this in Canada or the Republic of Ireland.
• Sports: Many sports that started in English-speaking countries use yards to measure fields or pitches. For example, American football fields are 100 yards long.
• Area and Volume: The yard can also be used to measure area (a square yard) or volume (a cubic yard). A square yard is like a square that is one yard on each side. A cubic yard is like a box that is one yard long, one yard wide, and one yard high.

The yard is not used much in other countries that use the metric system.

Images for kids

• 

  These are old public measuring standards at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. They show the lengths of a British yard, two feet, one foot, six inches, and three inches. People could use these to check their own measuring rods.

• 

  Two yardsticks, which are long rulers exactly one yard in length. They are often used for measuring fabric or other "yard goods."

See also

In Spanish: Yarda para niños