Convert Kilometer to US Survey Foot
Convert kilometers to us survey feet instantly. 1 kilometer = 3280.8333333333 us survey foot — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the US Survey Foot to Kilometer converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Kilometer
A kilometer is a metric unit of length equal to one thousand meters. It is the standard unit for measuring road distances, geographic distances, and other large-scale measurements in metric countries.
The kilometer was defined alongside the meter in 1795 using the standard SI prefix kilo- (from Greek chilioi, "thousand"), denoting one thousand units.
Kilometers are used worldwide (except the United States and a few others) for road signage, geographic distance, athletic events, and scientific distances at planetary scale. Speed limits in most countries are given in km/h.
Adopted 1795 in France as part of the original metric system; the kilometer became the global standard for road and geographic distance through the 19th and 20th century metric adoption.
US Survey Foot
The US Survey Foot is a legacy unit of length defined as exactly 1200/3937 meters (approximately 0.3048006 m). It differs from the modern international foot by about 2 parts per million.
Established in the United States by the Mendenhall Order of 1893, which defined the foot in terms of the meter as 1200/3937 m. The US continued using this value for surveying even after the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement standardized the international foot at exactly 0.3048 m.
Used in US land surveying, geodetic measurements, state plane coordinate systems, and legal land descriptions. The US Survey Foot was officially deprecated by NIST and NOAA effective December 31, 2022, with the international foot becoming the sole US standard. Legacy data and recorded land surveys still reference it.
Mendenhall Order of 1893 defined the foot as 1200/3937 m; persisted in US surveying after 1959; officially deprecated by NIST/NOAA as of December 31, 2022.
Kilometer to US Survey Foot conversion formula
Note: this conversion uses a generally accepted modern value. Historical and regional definitions of this unit varied across times and places.
The relationship between kilometers and us survey feet:
To convert kilometers to us survey feet, multiply the value in kilometers by 3280.8333333333. To reverse, multiply us survey feet by 0.0003048006.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in us survey feet updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the US Survey Foot to Kilometer converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert kilometers to us survey feet
- Write down the value in kilometers (km).
- Multiply that value by the factor 3280.8333333333.
- The product is the equivalent value in us survey feet (sft).
- To reverse, multiply the us survey foot value by 0.0003048006.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 km to sft:
1 × 3280.8333333333 = 3280.8333333333 sft
Example 2 — Convert 100 km to sft:
100 × 3280.8333333333 = 328083.3333333333 sft
Real-world example — Track athletics distances
A 1-kilometer running track equals one thousand us survey feet. Track athletes' lap pacing converts the lap (often 400 of the smaller unit) into the fractional race distance whenever a coach reviews splits.
1 km × 3280.8333333333 = 3280.8333333333 sft
Real-world example — Geographic to human-scale conversion
One kilometer converts to a precise number of us survey feet — the everyday arithmetic for navigation systems, race-distance calculations, and any context where bigger geographic units must be related to the smaller working units.
1 km × 3280.8333333333 = 3280.8333333333 sft
Real-world example — Lap pacing and route segmentation
Translating a kilometer-scale distance into us survey feet is how runners, cyclists, and route planners convert top-line totals into the working segments they actually pace and execute.
1 km × 3280.8333333333 = 3280.8333333333 sft
Kilometer to US Survey Foot conversion table
Standard reference values for converting kilometers to us survey feet:
| Kilometer [km] | US Survey Foot [sft] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 32.8083333333 |
| 0.1 | 328.0833333333 |
| 1 | 3280.8333333333 |
| 2 | 6561.6666666667 |
| 3 | 9842.5 |
| 4 | 13123.3333333333 |
| 5 | 16404.1666666667 |
| 10 | 32808.3333333333 |
| 20 | 65616.6666666667 |
| 30 | 98425 |
| 40 | 131233.3333333333 |
| 50 | 164041.6666666667 |
| 100 | 328083.3333333333 |
| 500 | 1640416.6666666665 |
| 1000 | 3280833.333333333 |
Frequently asked questions
How many us survey feet is 1 kilometer?
How do I convert kilometers to us survey feet?
How do I convert us survey feet back to kilometers?
How many us survey feet is 100 kilometers?
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Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 km = 3280.8333333333 sft) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Astronomical Union — System of Astronomical Constants
The IAU defines astronomical units including the AU (149597870700 m exactly) light-year and parsec used in astronomy and astrophysics.