Are you looking to understand how long 500 yards is?
There’s no better way than using items that are approximately that length.
500 yards is a relatively long distance, but you should be able to see it with the naked eye so long as you have good vision and are standing on a flat surface. And walking at the average human speed, you would need only 5.68 minutes to cover it.
In this post, we’ve put together a list of 11 things approximately 500 yards you can use as references for understanding that length.
Let’s read on!
9 Common Things That are 500 Yards Long
1. Five American football fields
The American football field is where American football, generally the most popular sport in the United States, is played.
The dimensions of the American football field are consistent at all levels, including high school and professional levels. It’s usually 100 yards, excluding the two end zones, the areas in which a player scores.
Therefore, if you’re familiar with these fields, envision the distance five would cover if you placed them end to end.
2. Five Statue of Liberty
The towering iconic Statue of Liberty is a universally known landmark in the United States. It’s located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City.
The Statue of Liberty is an excellent reference point for relatively long distances, such as 100 yards. It stands about 101 yards tall, roughly the length of the American football field, including the foundation and the pedestal.
So if you’ve seen the famous statue, you’d need to imagine the height of five as they’d be just a little past the 500 yards mark.
3. Nine Olympic Pools
In the United States, there are several places where you can find Olympic-size pools, including Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, North Carolina, the University of Texas in Austin, and the United States Olympic Training Centers located in Colorado Springs.
These Olympic-size pools are larger than the ordinary swimming pools found in residential apartments and high-end restaurants, with a standardized length of 54.680665 yards.
That means if you can envision nine such pools in a row end to end, they’d be just 7 yards short of our mark.
4. Four and a Half Baseball Fields
A baseball field is a battleground for baseball, a sport right up there with American football in terms of popularity.
While not all baseball fields are alike, some areas are uniform across all levels, from amateur to high schools to professional competitions.
For instance, the distance from the nearest fence to the home plate is usually about 108 yards long.
So, if you visualize four and a half such distances end to end, they’d be 486 yards, only a few yards to the 500 yards point.
5. Four and a Half 100-meter Dashes
The 100-meter dash is a thrilling and exciting event that showcases the incredible speed and athleticism of the world’s fastest runners. Like many sports, it’s a centerpiece from high school to professional competitions.
The race is typically run on a straight, flat track, which, as the name implies, covers a distance of 100 meters (about 109 yards).
Therefore, if you can picture the length of four and a half 100-meter dashes, they’d be just 8 yards shy of our target of 500 yards.
6. 15 Boeing 737-700 Airliners
The Boeing 737-700 Airliner is one of the most popular commercial airliners in the United due to its efficiency.
It’s well-suited for regional and domestic routes and can accommodate about 149 passengers since it’s one of the longest airlines in the country, with an overall length of roughly 37 yards.
So, you’d need to visualize about 14 Boeing 737-700 Airliners to get a rough idea of how 500 yards is.
7. Seven and a Half Hockey Rinks
A hockey rink is a rectangular turf where hockey and ice hockey are played. Although the sport is not as popular as American football in the United States, it has a significant following of dedicated fans and players.
The recommended length of hockey rinks for top-level International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) competitions, including the Championship tournaments, is about 66 yards.
Therefore, if you can imagine the length seven and a half would cover, they’d be an excellent reference point, as they add up to 495 yards.
8. 19 Tennis Courts
A tennis court is where the sport of tennis is played. Chances are you’re familiar with them, as tennis is popular in the United States as a recreational activity and competitive sport played at all levels.
Tennis courts are available in parks, schools, and other public facilities across the country. And whether it’s for single or double matches, it’s usually 25.995188 yards long.
So, if you can picture 19 end to end, you can estimate a distance of 500 yards.
Of course, it’s challenging to visualize as many as 19 tennis courts, but this visualization guide for estimating distance can come in handy.
9. 23 Cricket Pitches
A cricket pitch is where the sport of cricket is played. The sport is popular in the US, especially among immigrants and expats from Australia, India, the UK, and South Africa.
Cricket pitches are excellent reference points for different distances, such as 100 yards, since they have uniform dimensions, usually 22.0035 yards long.
Therefore, if you’re a tennis enthusiast, you’d need to imagine the distance 23 cricket pitches would cover if you placed them end to end.
Again, if you find visualizing such numbers daunting, you can follow the same simple guide for estimating distances as we’ve already mentioned.
