Area Converter

How It Works

Area conversion uses the square meter (m²) as the base unit. Each unit's factor represents how many square meters it equals. To convert from unit A to unit B, the tool multiplies your value by A's m² factor, then divides by B's m² factor.

Square units are derived from their linear counterparts by squaring. Because 1 foot = 0.3048 m, it follows that 1 ft² = 0.3048² = 0.092903 m². Similarly, 1 inch = 0.0254 m, so 1 in² = 0.00064516 m². This squaring relationship means area unit factors change much more dramatically than linear ones — a mile is 1,609 times a meter, but a square mile is 1,609² ≈ 2,590,000 times a square meter.

The hectare (ha) is a metric area unit widely used in agriculture and land surveying. It is defined as 10,000 m² — equivalent to a 100 m × 100 m square. The name comes from Greek hecto (hundred) plus Latin area. France introduced it during metrication in the 1790s, and it remains the international standard for farmland, forests, and national parks.

The acre originated in medieval England as the area one man could plough in a day with a yoke of oxen — roughly a strip 1 furlong long and 1 chain (66 feet) wide. Its modern legal definition is exactly 43,560 square feet = 4,046.86 m². About 2.47 acres equal one hectare.

Worked example — A football (soccer) pitch:
FIFA specifies pitches between 100–110 m long and 64–75 m wide. A standard 105 × 68 m pitch = 7,140 m² = 0.714 ha = 1.764 acres.

Worked example — Convert a real-estate listing:
A house advertised as 1,500 ft² in the US = 1,500 × 0.092903 = 139.35 m². In the UK and Europe, floor area is typically given in m².

Worked example — National park scale:
Yellowstone National Park covers 8,983 km². In acres: 8,983 × 1,000,000 m²/km² ÷ 4,046.86 m²/acre = 2,219,823 acres. In square miles: 8,983 ÷ 2.58999 = 3,468 mi².

Practical applications of area conversion include real estate (m² vs ft²), agriculture (ha vs acres), urban planning, material purchasing (tiles, flooring, paint), and cartography.