Map scale converter
Convert a map scale between 1:25,000, centimeters per kilometer and inches to the mile.
That's about the same as a walking map. A 40 cm wide sheet at that scale covers about 10 km across.
What it means
How much does it cover?
The scale is exact only where the map projection is true. On a small-scale map of a whole country, the printed scale is a nominal figure.
Every unit
Your scale in every unit
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Three things worth knowing
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1:25,000 is 4 cm to the kilometer
Divide 100,000 by the scale denominator to get centimeters per kilometer. 1:50,000 gives 2 cm, and 1:10,000 gives 10.
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An inch to the mile
British Ordnance Survey maps were drawn at one inch to the mile, which is 1:63,360. The metric series replaced it with 1:50,000, slightly more detailed.
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Large scale means small area
1:1,000 is a large-scale map and 1:1,000,000 a small-scale one, because the fraction 1/1000 is larger than 1/1000000. The words describe the fraction, not the paper.
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Background
About map scale
A scale of 1:25,000 means one unit on the map is 25,000 of the same units on the ground: 1 cm to 250 m, or 4 cm to the kilometer.
A large-scale map has a small denominator and shows a small area in detail. A small-scale map has a large denominator and covers a country. The naming catches everyone out.