How many furlongs are there in a mile?

The story behind the answer

Eight is correct: a mile is 1,760 yards and a furlong is 220 yards, so 1,760 ÷ 220 = 8. Equivalently, a mile is 5,280 feet and a furlong is 660 feet, giving the same result.

The furlong comes from “furrow long,” the length of a furrow in one acre-wide strip of medieval fields. It ties into other old measurements: 1 furlong = 10 chains (a surveyor’s chain is 66 feet), and 1 mile = 80 chains, hence 8 furlongs. You’ll still hear furlongs in horse racing. Memory tip: picture eight sprinting horses—each runs one furlong to complete a mile.