country mile
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Puzzle #274 · March 2, 2026
The term country mile really just means a long way. It is not a different definition of mile.
There are, however, three different definitions of this crazy, American metric we call the mile.
The first is the statute mile (5,280 feet or 1,609.344 meters) used on land. You car's odometer and speed limits are based on this.
The second is a nautical mile, used for marine and aviation navigation (1,852 meters, or about 6,076 feet). The nautical mile is equivalent to one minute of latitude which is very convenient for navigation.
If you are a surveyor, you might also have to deal with the U.S. Survey mile which differs from the statute mile by 1/8th of an inch per mile. Across long distances this becomes problematic and confusing. In 2022 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) formally deprecated the U.S. survey mile, meaning it will no longer be used for new land surveys.
There are, however, three different definitions of this crazy, American metric we call the mile.
The first is the statute mile (5,280 feet or 1,609.344 meters) used on land. You car's odometer and speed limits are based on this.
The second is a nautical mile, used for marine and aviation navigation (1,852 meters, or about 6,076 feet). The nautical mile is equivalent to one minute of latitude which is very convenient for navigation.
If you are a surveyor, you might also have to deal with the U.S. Survey mile which differs from the statute mile by 1/8th of an inch per mile. Across long distances this becomes problematic and confusing. In 2022 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) formally deprecated the U.S. survey mile, meaning it will no longer be used for new land surveys.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression country mile has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #274 on March 2, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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