• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / Why is a mile 5,280 feet instead of an even number like 5,000?

Why is a mile 5,280 feet instead of an even number like 5,000?

February 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

A mile is 5,280 feet instead of an even number like 5,000 and you can blame it on the Tudors and their fondness for the furlong.

The mile was originally 5,000 feet, but Queen Elizabeth I wanted it divisible by a furlong.

Each furlong measured exactly 220 yards, so in 1575 she made it a royal decree that the mile would officially grow 280 more feet, making it exactly 8 furlongs.

Related Facts

  • Why is the Mile 5280 Feet instead of an even 5000 Feet and how many Furlongs are in a Mile?
  • Why Is a Country Mile Longer Than the Average Mile and Where Did the Term Come From?
  • Where did the mile come from and Who decided the length of a mile?
  • What Is the Population Density or the Average Number of People Per Square Mile In the United States?
  • Why does it rain instead of snow even when the temperature is below freezing?
  • Where does the expression "to get cold feet" come from and What does "Cold Feet" mean?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why is a marathon 26.2 miles and not an even 26 miles?
Next Post: How much of a penny is actually made of copper? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy