200 feet is quite a distance to measure. It spans 2,400 inches or 66-2/3 yards, which is the equivalent of a sliver under 61 meters.
If you’re about to undergo a large-scale project on a large plot of land, it’s a good idea to keep measuring tools like a tape measure, a laser measure, or a surveyor’s wheel with you. If you don’t have those tools on your person, then guesstimating 200 feet is the next best thing.
Today, I’ll show you how you can visualize 200 feet using eight common, everyday objects that you’ve probably come across more than once in your life.
Hockey Rink
Anyone who has played hockey in school or on an NHL-standard rink may immediately know that the length of the rink, according to the NHL, should measure exactly 200 feet in length. You won’t have to add or subtract anything to reach the 200-foot mark using this as your point of reference.
But if you live in a place that uses the metric system—i.e., anywhere else except the United States—then to get to 200 feet based on the International Ice Hockey Federation, you’ll need to tack on three extra feet.
3 and 1/3 Bowling Lanes
According to the World Bowling Statutes and Playing Rules, which is pretty much in line with any local competitive bowling league, the length of a bowling lane must measure exactly 60 feet from the lane side to the foul line.
Reaching the 200-foot mark can be a bit tricky since it will take 3 and 1/3 bowling lanes to get there. What you can do is imagine placing two queen-size mattresses on the end of three bowling lanes to get closer to 200 feet.
4 Large Residential Inground Swimming Pools
Swimming pools come in all shapes and sizes. Inground swimming pools are usually rectangular in shape, though you may find a pool that’s shaped like a kidney bean with sloped walls.
The average size for a backyard inground swimming pool is 10 × 50 feet. So, measuring 200 feet is quite straightforward—just envision four 50-foot-long swimming pools one after the other.
For those that have or are more familiar with above-ground swimming pools, this type of pool can measure between 10 and 33 feet in length, on average. So, to get the full 200 feet, make a mental image of placing six to 20 of them in a row.
Alternatively, if you have experience around Olympic-sized swimming pools, you’ll need 1.5 of them (each measure 164 feet in length).
10 2-Story Building
While homeowners are free to design their homes whichever way they wish, if you live in the United States, two-story homes will usually measure 18 to 20 feet in height, which equals nine to ten feet per floor.
Using this formula, you can guesstimate how high 200 feet is by simply imagining that you’re stacking ten two-story buildings on top of each other.
Alternatively, you can use a single 20-story-tall building to get a close estimation to 200 feet, assuming each story measures between nine and ten feet tall from floor to ceiling.
8 Garden Hoses
If you’re shopping for a garden hose or purchased one at a popular brick-and-mortar retailer like Lowe’s or Home Depot, then your options are most likely limited to increments of 25 feet, which typically max at 100 feet long.
Assuming you have a 25-foot garden hose that you have thoroughly unreeled, it will take just eight of them to measure distances of 200 feet.
80 Footsteps
One of the simplest ways to guesstimate great distances is to measure how many footsteps it takes to get there. On average, one normal step can cover a distance of 2.5 feet. So, to cover a distance of 200 feet, count out 80 steps in total without overextending your feet.
Please note there are several factors that can affect your distance of a step—i.e., physical injury, height, leg length.
So, I would recommend getting an average figure of how many feet you can cover in a step or stride (the distance of two footsteps) to get a more realistic figure of how many steps it’ll take to cover 200 feet.
11.5 Ford F150s
If you live in the United States, the odds of you coming across a Ford F150 at least once in your lifetime is pretty good, seeing as how it was the top-selling car last year.
The length of a Ford F150 with a 6.5-foot-long bed is 17.4 feet long. So, if you were to imagine parking 11.5 F150s bumper to bumper, you’d get an overall length of just a hair over 200 feet long.
If you’re more accustomed to the F150 with an eight-foot-long bed, which measures 18.5 feet in length, you’d need just over 10.5 of them to measure 200 feet.
5 Pressure Washer Spray Distances
Anyone who has a pressure washer, a.k.a. a power washer, can tell you how fun they can be. While they can be dangerous if mishandled, they’re great and entertaining tools for washing cars, driveways, and even the outside of homes.
While it’s a good idea to stay at least six feet away from the object that you’re power-washing, the spray can typically reach up to 20 feet far. To get to 200 feet, all you need to do is to multiply that distance by five, give or take a few feet.
Please note that not all pressure washers are built the same. Models vary in water consumption and pressure output, and the spray from gas-powered pressure washers with beefier motors may reach greater distances than 20 feet.
Conclusion
Above, I listed eight common objects that can help you envision 200 feet in length. If you have any of these items on hand, they can help you get a close approximation of 200 feet to help you plan out any large-scale gardening or construction project you have.
If any of the information I provided above helped you, please let your friends know by sharing this guide with them. Or if you have any comments or other ideas of objects that measure 200 feet in length, I’d love to read about them in the comments section.
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