Area Converter

Convert area units including square meters, square feet, acres, hectares, and square miles.

Area Converter

Convert between metric and US customary area units, including square metres, square kilometres, hectares, square feet, square yards, acres, and square miles. Area factors are the length factors squared, which is why the numbers look less familiar.

Conversion factors

Because 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, the derived area factors are also exact:

  • 1 sq ft = 0.09290304 m²
  • 1 sq in = 6.4516 cm²
  • 1 sq yd = 0.83612736 m² (9 square feet)
  • 1 acre = 4,046.8564224 m² (43,560 square feet)
  • 1 hectare = 10,000 m² (1 ha ≈ 2.47105 acres)
  • 1 sq mile = 2.589988110336 km² = 640 acres
  • 1 m² = 10.7639 sq ft (rounded)

Worked example

Convert a 1,500 sq ft apartment to square metres:

  • 1,500 × 0.09290304 = 139.35456, so the apartment is about 139.35 m².

For land, a 0.25-acre building plot in square metres is 0.25 × 4,046.8564224 = 1,011.71 m², which is very close to a tenth of a hectare.

When to use this converter

  • Real estate: listings quote floor area in square feet in the US and in square metres in most other markets, so converting lets you compare like with like.
  • Land and gardening: farm and plot sizes appear in acres or hectares depending on the country, and seed or fertiliser coverage rates are often given per 1,000 sq ft or per hectare.
  • DIY and decorating: paint coverage, flooring, and tile quantities are sold per square metre or per square foot, so matching the room measurement to the product unit avoids buying the wrong amount.
  • Geography and planning: country and city statistics mix square kilometres and square miles.

Tips for accurate conversions

  • Area scales with the square of length. A metre is about 3.28 feet, but a square metre is about 10.76 square feet; never apply a length factor to an area.
  • Convert measurements before multiplying, or convert the final area, but do not mix. A 12 ft by 10 ft room is 120 sq ft, which is 120 × 0.09290304 = 11.15 m².
  • A hectare is a 100 m by 100 m square, which makes it easy to visualise; an acre is about 40% of that, roughly a football (soccer) pitch without the run-off areas.
  • Some countries use survey-specific units, such as the Indian bigha or the Japanese tsubo, whose sizes vary regionally; verify local definitions before relying on a converted figure in a contract.
  • For irregular plots, published acreage is usually a surveyed figure; converting it is exact, but re-deriving it from rough side lengths is not.

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Frequently asked questions

How many square feet are in a square metre?
One square metre is about 10.7639 square feet. The exact relationship runs the other way: 1 sq ft = 0.09290304 m², derived from the foot being exactly 0.3048 m.
How big is an acre in square metres?
An acre is exactly 4,046.8564224 m², or 43,560 square feet. As a rough visual, it is a bit smaller than half a hectare and close to the playing area of a football pitch.
What is the difference between a hectare and an acre?
A hectare is 10,000 m² (a 100 m by 100 m square) and an acre is about 4,047 m², so one hectare is roughly 2.471 acres. Hectares are the standard land unit in metric countries, while acres persist in the US and UK.
How many acres are in a square mile?
Exactly 640 acres. A square mile is also exactly 2.589988110336 km², which is why US land was historically surveyed in square-mile sections that divide evenly into quarter sections of 160 acres.
Why can't I use a length factor to convert areas?
Area scales with the square of length, so the factor must be squared too. A metre is about 3.281 feet, but a square metre is about 10.764 square feet (3.281 squared), not 3.281 square feet.
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