Even if you have a good grasp of how long a foot is and what that measurement looks like compared to an object, it can be difficult to get a feel for much longer lengths.
Sixty feet isn’t an uncommon measurement, but it’s so big that it’s hard to judge just how long or tall that really is.
Comparing 60 feet to some well-known things can help.
A Bowling Lane
A bowling lane, which is measured from the foul line at the start of the lane to the first bowling pin in the formation, is exactly 60 feet long.
If you’ve ever been bowling and you can picture how long the lane is, you can easily visualize and estimate what 60 feet looks like.
Four Cars
A standard sedan is usually between 14-15 feet long. This means that four cars lined up end to end are very close to 60 feet.
This measurement will vary depending on the make and model of each car, but in general, if you can picture four cars, such as seeing four cars stopped at a red light or parked on a street, you can visualize 60 feet in length.
Home Plate to the Pitcher’s Mound
A baseball diamond is quite large, with the distance from each base equaling 90 feet.
However, the distance from home plate to the pitcher’s mound is exactly 60.5 feet.
Visualizing a baseball diamond, and knowing how far a pitcher must throw a baseball, can help you visualize 60 feet.
The distance from one base to the next can also help you estimate 60 feet, as 60 feet is 2/3 of this length.
A Semi-Truck and Trailer
Commercial truck trailers and the semi-truck cab can vary a bit in overall length.
This is especially true of the cab, which can be a different length depending on what type of truck it is and when it was made.
However, in general, a trailer and the truck cab usually equal just over 60 feet in length.
Most trailers are between 48 and 53 feet in length.
Cabs can be up to 20 feet in length alone, but the trailer will overlap a bit, bringing the number closer to 60 feet.
Trucks that have sleeper compartments are usually much longer than day cab truck styles.
Although these truck and trailer combinations are a bit longer than 60 feet, visualizing one can still help you make a good estimate of 60 feet.
If the trailers are shorter double trailers, each trailer is usually 28 feet long.
This means that the twin trailers alone are very close to 60 feet in length.
A Five or Six Story Building
A single story of a building is usually between 9 and 11 feet tall.
First floors in tall buildings are often a bit taller than that.
This means that a five or six-story building will be just under or just over 60 feet in height.
Three or Four Giraffes
Giraffes are the tallest land animals, thanks to their very long necks.
Female giraffes can grow to 15 feet tall, so four giraffes would equal right around 60 feet. Male giraffes can grow to be 18 feet, so three male giraffes would be just less than 60 feet.
Each animal will, of course, grow to a slightly different height depending on genetics and the food available.
Ten People
On average, most adult people are about 5 feet and 10 inches tall.
This means that if 10 people lined up head to feet, they would most likely be just under 60 feet in length.
Exactly how tall any single person is, however, will vary depending on age, race, and where the person is from.
Women are also usually slightly shorter than men.
Two Whale Sharks
Whale sharks are some of the most well-known ocean creatures thanks to their spotted coloration, giant size, and peaceful nature.
These creatures, which are simply very large fish, can grow up to 33 feet long.
This means that two whale sharks, end to end, will be about 60 feet long.
Great white sharks are also well-known, and they can grow to very large sizes as well.
A great white shark can grow to about 15 feet in length, which means that four great whites will equal about 60 feet in length.
Megalodon
Megalodons are a type of giant prehistoric shark that once roamed the world’s oceans.
These sharks often capture people’s imaginations because of how very large they were.
A megalodon could easily grow to 60 feet in length, and it would prey on other ocean animals, including smaller sharks.
Kites
Most kites used by children or other kite enthusiasts are quite small, only measuring a couple of feet in length.
However, large kites, often used for professional entertainment, can be very large.
These kites, which can measure up to 30 feet in length, often have long, trailing streamers that fly through the air. Two of these kites together are equal to about 60 feet.
Ten Refrigerators
A refrigerator already seems like quite a large object, but a standard refrigerator is only about 6 feet tall.
This means you would need to stack 10 refrigerators end to end to come up with a length of 60 feet.
However, if you can visualize a standard fridge, you can also visualize 1/10 of 60 feet, which can help you estimate the length.
Each fridge will be a slightly different height depending on brand and style.
