Area Converter
This area converter changes a value between twelve units: square millimeters, centimeters, decimeters, meters and kilometers, ares, hectares, square inches, square feet, square yards, acres and square miles. Enter a number and pick the units. The table under the result shows the same area in every unit, which helps when a listing gives a home in square feet, a lot in acres and a foreign property in m² or hectares.
Updated
Results
- Unit
- Conversion factorOne unit of the source expressed in the target unit
| Unit | Value |
|---|
Results are estimates. See the methodology below.
How to use the converter
- Enter the value. Decimals are fine, for example 0.25 or 1,850.5.
- From: the unit you have, such as ft².
- To: the unit you need, such as m².
You get the converted value and the factor for one unit (for example 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m²), useful for a spreadsheet. The table lists your value in all twelve units at once. To find an area from room dimensions, multiply length by width first, in the same unit, then convert the result.
Conversion factors
Every conversion passes through the square meter: the value is multiplied by the size of the source unit in m² and divided by the size of the target unit. US customary units are tied to the meter by the exact definition of the inch, 2.54 cm, so their square units are exact too.
| Unit | Definition | Exact value |
|---|---|---|
| in² (square inch) | (2.54 cm)² | 6.4516 cm² |
| ft² (square foot) | 144 in² | 0.09290304 m² |
| yd² (square yard) | 9 ft² | 0.83612736 m² |
| ac (acre) | 43,560 ft² = 4,840 yd² | 4,046.8564224 m² |
| mi² (square mile) | 640 acres | 2.589988110336 km² |
| a (are) | 10 m × 10 m | 100 m² |
| ha (hectare) | 100 ares | 10,000 m² |
The calculation keeps 12 significant digits; the result shows up to 10. The are is rare in the US, but its hundredth, the centiare, is simply one square meter.
Until the end of 2022, the acre and other US land units were defined through the US survey foot, which is very slightly longer than the international foot. NIST treats the survey foot as obsolete from January 1, 2023, so the acre here is based on the international foot. The difference is about 4 parts per million in area, far below what any survey of a house lot can detect, though older deeds may still use the survey definition.
Examples
1. Home sizes in square feet and square meters
| Square feet | Square meters |
|---|---|
| 1,000 ft² | 92.90304 m² |
| 1,500 ft² | 139.35456 m² |
| 2,000 ft² | 185.80608 m² |
| 1,076.391042 ft² | 100 m² |
A quick rule: 1 m² is about 10.76 ft².
2. Lots and land
A quarter-acre lot is 10,890 ft², or 1,011.7141056 m². One hectare, the usual unit for land outside the US, equals 2.4711 acres, and one acre is 0.4047 ha.
3. Large areas
A square mile holds exactly 640 acres and equals 2.59 km². One square kilometer is 0.3861 mi², or 247.11 acres.
Reading square units
Square units grow with the square of the length factor. One yard is 3 feet, but one square yard is 9 square feet; one foot is 12 inches, but one square foot is 144 square inches. Mixing up a length factor and an area factor is the most common conversion mistake. This tool only converts units: it does not measure a dwelling, and the square footage in a listing depends on what the seller or appraiser counts, such as garages, basements or unfinished space.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet are in an acre?
Exactly 43,560 ft², which is also 4,840 square yards and 4,046.86 m². A square plot of one acre measures about 208.7 feet on each side.
How do I convert square feet to square meters?
Multiply by 0.09290304. For example, 2,000 ft² × 0.09290304 = 185.80608 m². To go the other way, multiply square meters by 10.7639.
How many acres are in a hectare?
One hectare is 2.47105 acres. A 10-hectare farm is about 24.71 acres.
How many square feet are in a square yard?
Nine, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 = 9. Carpet and turf are often priced per square yard: 12 ft² is 1.33 yd².
How many acres are in a square mile?
640 acres. A quarter of a square mile is 160 acres.
Is an acre the same everywhere?
The international acre used here is 4,046.8564224 m². The old US survey acre, based on the retired US survey foot, differs by about 4 parts per million.
Sources
Conversions use the exact definitions listed on this page and are rounded for display. For property transactions, rely on the measured area and the units stated in your documents.