Area Converter
Convert between square metres, square feet, acres, hectares, square kilometres and more.
Convert from:
Common areas:
| Unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Square metres | — m² |
| Square feet | — ft² |
| Square kilometres | — km² |
| Square miles | — mi² |
| Hectares | — ha |
| Acres | — ac |
| Square centimetres | — cm² |
| Square inches | — in² |
| Square yards | — yd² |
Area is a two-dimensional measure — it scales with the square of linear dimensions, which is why area units feel unfamiliar even when you know the linear equivalents. A room that is twice as wide and twice as long has four times the area, not twice. That non-linearity trips people up when converting between metric and imperial systems.
Quick reference
| Place or thing | Square metres | Square feet / other |
|---|---|---|
| Studio flat | 25–35 m² | 270–380 ft² |
| Average UK home | 85 m² | 915 ft² |
| Average US home | 201 m² | 2,164 ft² |
| Tennis court | 260 m² | 0.064 acres |
| Football pitch | 7,140 m² | 1.76 acres |
| 1 acre | 4,047 m² | 43,560 ft² |
| 1 hectare | 10,000 m² | 2.47 acres |
When do you need this?
- Comparing property listings from different countries — UK and Australia use m², the US uses ft²
- Buying flooring or tiles — suppliers may quote in m² while your room plan is in ft²
- Understanding agricultural land — UK farmland is sold in acres, European farmland in hectares
- Reading maps and geographic data — country areas are typically given in km² or square miles
- Planning a garden — smaller plots are often described in m² or yd², larger ones in acres
- Working with technical drawings or material sheets quoted in cm² or in²
Understanding the units
Square metre (m²)
The SI unit of area. One square metre is the area of a square with 1-metre sides. It is the default unit for floor plans, property listings and construction across most of the world. A typical parking space is about 15 m².
Square foot (ft²)
The standard for real estate in the United States and still common in the UK. One square foot is 0.0929 m². Home sizes are routinely given in square feet in US listings — a 2,000 ft² house is about 186 m².
Acre
An imperial unit originally defined as the area a yoke of oxen could plough in a day. Exactly 43,560 ft² or 4,047 m². Still the dominant unit for agricultural land and real estate lots in the US and UK.
Hectare (ha)
Exactly 10,000 m² — a square 100 m on each side. The metric equivalent of the acre, used globally for farming, forestry and large land parcels. One hectare is about 2.47 acres.
Square kilometre (km²)
Equal to 1,000,000 m² or 100 hectares. Used for cities, countries and geographic features. The UK is about 243,610 km²; Manhattan is about 59 km².
Square mile (mi²)
One square mile equals 2.59 km² or 640 acres. Used mainly in the United States for counties, national parks and land surveys.
Square centimetre (cm²), square inch (in²), square yard (yd²)
Smaller units used for materials and surfaces. Square centimetres appear in paper sizes and sensor specs; square inches in print and screen resolution; square yards in carpet and fabric retail in the US and UK.
Common mistakes
- Confusing linear and area conversions. 1 m = 3.281 ft, but 1 m² = 10.764 ft² — the factor is squared, not the same number.
- Mixing up acres and hectares. They sound interchangeable but differ by a factor of 2.47. A 10-acre farm is only about 4 hectares.
- Assuming 1 km² = 100 m². It is actually 1,000,000 m² — a million, not a hundred.
- Using the wrong unit for property comparisons. A US listing of 1,500 ft² looks tiny against a European listing of 90 m² — but they are almost identical in size.
- Forgetting that yard² ≠ yard × 2. A 10-yard × 10-yard garden is 100 yd², not 20 yd².
Which should you use?
Buying or renting property in the US? Square feet. That is what listings, agents and mortgage documents will use.
Property in Europe, Australia or most of the world? Square metres. Standard across listings and legal documents.
Farmland or large rural plots? Acres in the US and UK; hectares everywhere else.
Comparing countries or regions on a map? Square kilometres or square miles, depending on your country's convention.
Flooring, tiles or fabric? Square metres in metric countries, square feet or square yards in the US and UK.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert square feet to square metres?
Multiply square feet by 0.092903. For example, 1,000 sq ft × 0.092903 = 92.9 m². To go the other way, multiply square metres by 10.7639 to get square feet.
How many square feet are in an acre?
One acre is exactly 43,560 square feet. It is also equal to 4,047 square metres or 0.4047 hectares. An acre is roughly the size of a standard American football field without the end zones.
What is the difference between a hectare and an acre?
A hectare equals 10,000 square metres; an acre equals 4,047 square metres. One hectare is approximately 2.471 acres. Hectares are the standard unit in most countries for large land areas, while acres remain common in the US and UK.
How many square metres is a square kilometre?
One square kilometre equals exactly 1,000,000 square metres (1 km² = 1,000 m × 1,000 m). It is also equal to 100 hectares or approximately 247 acres.
How do I convert square inches to square centimetres?
Multiply square inches by 6.4516 to get square centimetres. This follows from 1 inch = 2.54 cm, so 1 in² = 2.54² = 6.4516 cm². For example, 10 in² = 64.5 cm².
What is a square yard in square metres?
One square yard equals 0.836127 square metres. Since 1 yard = 0.9144 m, one square yard is 0.9144² = 0.836127 m². Square yards are still used in the US and UK for flooring and carpeting.
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