Conversion Table

How to convert

1 league (league) = 5.556 kilometer (km). League (league) is a unit of Length used in Standard system. Kilometer (km) is a unit of Length used in Metric system.

League: A Unit of Length

The league is an old unit of length that was common in Europe and Latin America, but is no longer official in any nation. It was derived from an ancient Celtic unit and adopted by the Romans. It was the distance a person or a horse could walk in about one hour, usually about 3 to 5 kilometers. The league varied in length from 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles in different regions.

In this article, we will explore the definition, history, usage and conversion of the league as a unit of length.

Definition of the League

The league is a unit of length that is equal to 3 miles or 4.8 kilometers in the English-speaking countries. However, the word league often refers to the Spanish, Portuguese or French league, which have different values.

The Spanish league was originally defined as 5,000 varas (a Spanish yard), about 2.6 miles or 4.2 kilometers. The Portuguese league was also 5,000 varas, but the vara was slightly longer, making the league about 2.7 miles or 4.4 kilometers. The French league was based on the nautical mile and was equal to 3 nautical miles or 5.6 kilometers.

The league is not a standard unit and has no symbol.

History of the League

The origin of the league as a unit of length can be traced back to ancient times, when it was used as a measure of distance based on the human or animal pace. The word league comes from the Latin word leuga, which was derived from the Celtic word leuca. It referred to the distance that could be covered by a person or a horse in one hour.

The league was used by the Romans, who defined it as one and a half Roman miles (7,500 Roman feet or 2.2 kilometers). The Roman league was also called leuga Gallica (the Gaulish league) or leuga Germanica (the Germanic league), depending on the region.

The league was adopted by other countries that followed the Roman system of measurement, such as Spain, Portugal and France. It varied in length from country to country and from time to time, depending on local standards and methods of measurement.

The league was abolished by Philip II of Spain in 1568, but it continued to be used unofficially in some parts of Latin America. The league was also incorporated into the imperial system of measurement, which was established by an act of Parliament in 1824. The imperial system was based on seven base units that could be derived from natural and traditional units. The league remained as a derived unit in the imperial system, but it was no longer recommended for use in scientific and technical fields.

Usage of the League

The league is a unit of length that is used for measuring long distances and dimensions, such as the length of a road or the circumference of a lake.

The league is rarely used in modern times, except for historical or literary purposes. However, some countries still use it for some specific applications.

For example:

• In Argentina, a league is equal to 5 kilometers and is used for measuring land area.
• In Brazil, a league is equal to 6 kilometers and is used for measuring distances on roads and highways.
• In Mexico, a league is variable and depends on the terrain and the mode of transportation. It is used for measuring distances between towns and villages.
• In France, a league is equal to 4 kilometers and is used for measuring distances on maps and signs.
• In Spain, a league is equal to 4 kilometers and is used for measuring distances on roads and highways.

Example Conversions of League to Other Units

The league can be converted to other units of length by using different factors and formulas. Here are some examples of conversion for different types of leagues:

• To convert an English league to miles, multiply by 3:

1 English league x 3 = 3 miles

• To convert an English league to kilometers, multiply by 4.8:

1 English league x 4.8 = 4.8 kilometers

• To convert a Spanish league to miles, multiply by 2.6:

1 Spanish league x 2.6 = 2.6 miles

• To convert a Spanish league to kilometers, multiply by 4.2:

1 Spanish league x 4.2 = 4.2 kilometers

• To convert a Portuguese league to miles, multiply by 2.7:

1 Portuguese league x 2.7 = 2.7 miles

• To convert a Portuguese league to kilometers, multiply by 4.4:

1 Portuguese league x 4.4 = 4.4 kilometers

• To convert a French league to miles, multiply by 3.5:

1 French league x 3.5 = 3.5 miles

• To convert a French league to kilometers, multiply by 5.6:

1 French league x 5.6 = 5.6 kilometers

• To convert a mile to leagues, divide by the appropriate factor:

1 mile / 3 = 0.333 English leagues

1 mile / 2.6 = 0.385 Spanish leagues

1 mile / 2.7 = 0.370 Portuguese leagues

1 mile / 3.5 = 0.286 French leagues

• To convert a kilometer to leagues, divide by the appropriate factor:

1 kilometer / 4.8 = 0.208 English leagues

1 kilometer / 4.2 = 0.238 Spanish leagues

1 kilometer / 4.4 = 0.227 Portuguese leagues

1 kilometer / 5.6 = 0.179 French leagues

Kilometer - Unit of Distance / Length

Unit Symbol/Abbreviation: km

Where the unit used in the World:

The kilometer is used as a unit used to measure distances or lengths.
It's a standard measure for travelled distances, geographical distances and maps in most countries excluding the USA and the United Kingdom where mile is still used for this purpose.
between geographical locations on land, and in most countries is the official unit for this purpose. Primary exceptions are the United Kingdom, Liberia, Myanmar and the United States of America, where the mile remains as standard as a part of imperial system.

Definition of the Unit:

The kilometer (kilometre in UK spelling) is a unit of length/distance in the metric system (SI Unit system) equivalent to one thousand meters.

1 km is equivalent to 0.62137 miles.

History of the Unit:

Although the meter was defined in 1799 in France, the kilometer was first adopted for everyday use by the Dutch in 1817 under local name of the mijl. The myriametre (10000 meters) and "lieues de Poste" (Postal leagues, 4288 meters) were preferred to the "kilometer" for everyday use in France in 19th century. In the mid 19th century the kilometer was already in everyday use in the Italy and in Netherlands and the myriametre was still in use in France. The CIPM (The International Committee for Weights and Measures) officially abolished the prefix "myria-" and the "myriametre" in 1935, leaving the kilometer as the recognised unit of length instead of myriametre.

Where it's used:

The kilometer is commonly used on road signs to indicate the distance to travel to a given location, on maps to indicate scale, for odometer indication in automotive industry. It is also the most popular unit for describing the distance between geographical points and locations.

Equivalents in other units and scales:

• 1 km = 1000000 millimeters (mm)
• 1 km = 100 000 centimeters (cm)
• 1 km = 10000 decimeters (dm)
• 1 km = 1000 meters (m)
• 1 km = 3280.84 feet (ft)
• 1 megameter = 1000 km
• 1 gigameter = 1000000 km
• 1 mile = 1.609 km
• 1 yard = 0.000914 km
• 1 foot = 0.000305 km
• 1 inch = 0.0000254 km
• Units of length in the metric SI system are based on multiples or fractions of a meter.
• There are measurements of length/distance in the metric SI system greater than a kilometer that can be expressed in terms of kilometres.

1 km is equivalent to 0.621371 mi.

The kilometer is unit of length in the metric SI system and is equivalent to one thousand metres.