Area conversion chart
Convert between units of area: square inches, feet, yards, and miles, plus acres and hectares against square metres and kilometres. Area conversions square the length factor, so they grow quickly.
Common area conversions
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 square foot | 144 square inches |
| 1 square yard | 9 square feet |
| 1 acre | 43,560 square feet |
| 1 acre | 4,046.86 square metres |
| 1 hectare | 10,000 square metres |
| 1 hectare | 2.471 acres |
| 1 square metre | 10.764 square feet |
| 1 square kilometre | 100 hectares (0.3861 sq mi) |
| 1 square mile | 640 acres (2.59 sq km) |
Because area is length squared, its conversion factors are the length factors squared. A foot is about 0.3048 metres, so a square foot is 0.3048 squared, about 0.0929 square metres. This is why one square metre equals nearly 11 square feet rather than just over 3.
Need length or land area?
See the Length Conversion Chart and the Metric Conversion Chart.
Why area factors are squared
When you convert a length, you multiply by one factor. When you convert an area, both dimensions scale, so you multiply by the factor twice, that is, the factor squared. A yard is 3 feet, but a square yard is 3 times 3, or 9 square feet. Forgetting to square the factor is the most common area-conversion mistake.
Acres and hectares
Land area uses two main units. An acre, the traditional measure, is 43,560 square feet, originally the area a team of oxen could plough in a day. A hectare is a metric unit equal to 10,000 square metres, a square 100 metres on each side, and works out to about 2.47 acres.
FAQ
How many square feet are in an acre?
43,560 square feet, equivalent to about 4,047 square metres.
How big is a hectare?
10,000 square metres, a square 100 metres on a side, or about 2.47 acres.
Why is a square metre nearly 11 square feet?
Because area squares the length factor: a metre is about 3.28 feet, and 3.28 squared is about 10.76.