Area Converter
Convert between square metres, square feet, acres, hectares, and other area units. Shows the conversion factor used.
Area Converter
Enter an area value and select its unit β all other units update instantly.
Quick References
How to Convert Between Square Meters, Acres, Hectares, and Square Feet
Your estate agent in Sydney lists a block of land at 800 mΒ². You are used to thinking in square feet from years in the US. Is this a quarter-acre suburban block or a cramped city lot? Enter 800, select mΒ², and the converter shows 8611.13 ftΒ², 0.08 hectares, 0.1977 acres, and every other equivalent in one click. The quick-reference strip at the bottom translates the area into familiar objects β a parking space at 12 mΒ², a tennis court at 260 mΒ² β so you can visualise the space before visiting the open house.
The converter covers 10 units from square millimeters to square miles. A tiler quoting a bathroom renovation needs to convert a 3.5 mΒ² floor area to square feet (37.67 ftΒ²) for a client who only understands imperial. A farmer comparing two paddocks β one listed as 15 acres, the other as 6 hectares β can instantly see that the 6-hectare plot is larger at 14.83 acres. The copy button on each result means you can paste the number straight into a contract, spreadsheet, or planning application.
Real estate where square meters and square feet collide
A relocating family compares a 95 mΒ² apartment in Berlin with a 1,200 ftΒ² condo in Chicago. Converting the Berlin listing: 95 mΒ² = 1022.57 ftΒ². The Chicago condo is larger by about 178 ftΒ² β roughly the size of a small bedroom. Without converting, the family might assume 95 mΒ² is bigger because the number 95 is smaller than 1200, but that comparison is meaningless across different units.
A contractor installing hardwood flooring in a 22 mΒ² living room needs to order material by square feet. Converting gives 236.81 ftΒ². Hardwood is sold in boxes of 20 ftΒ², so the contractor needs 12 boxes (rounding up to account for cutting waste). A 5% error in the conversion β say, using 10.76 instead of 10.7639 β would underestimate by 0.87 ftΒ², which at $8/ftΒ² means about $7 wasted. Small errors compound when quoting large commercial projects.
A homeowner in the UK applies for planning permission to build an extension on 25 mΒ² of garden. The local council requires the area in both mΒ² and square feet for the public notice. Converting: 25 mΒ² = 269.10 ftΒ². The planning application must list both figures accurately β an incorrect conversion could delay approval or trigger an objection during the public consultation period.
How the Area Converter Calculates Square Meters, Acres, and Hectares
Every unit in the converter is stored as a multiple of one square meter. When you enter 5 acres, the tool multiplies 5 by 4046.8564224 to get 20,234.282112 mΒ², then divides by each target unit's factor. Because the conversion passes through square meters in a single step, there is no chain of intermediate conversions. The result for 1 acre to hectares is exactly 0.40468564224 ha β not a rounded approximation derived from converting through a third unit.
Why the acre factor has so many decimal places
The acre is defined as exactly 43,560 square feet, and since the foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters (1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement), squaring that gives the acre's square meter value: 0.3048Β² Γ 43,560 = 4046.8564224 mΒ². That 10-digit number is exact, not rounded. The hectare, by contrast, is a round 10,000 mΒ² by definition β it was created in 1795 as part of the metric system, defined as a square with 100-meter sides.
The relationship between hectares and acres is fixed: 1 hectare = 2.47105381467165 acres (exact). A common mental shortcut is "1 hectare β 2.5 acres," which is about 1.2% off. For a 100-hectare farm, that error amounts to 1.2 acres β roughly the size of a football pitch. For land valuations where an acre might be worth $10,000, that 1.2-acre error represents $12,000 in miscalculated land value.
The square-mile-to-acre relationship and why it matters
One square mile equals exactly 640 acres. This comes from the US Public Land Survey System: a township is 6 miles Γ 6 miles = 36 square miles, and each square mile (a "section") is divided into 36 quarter-sections of 160 acres each. The number 640 is exact. When city planners in the US discuss zoning "one square mile" of land, they are talking about exactly 640 acres β about the size of a large ranch or a small town.
The converter formats results dynamically: values below 0.001 and above 1 billion use scientific notation; values between 1,000 and 1 billion use locale-formatted numbers with 2-4 decimal places; values between 0.001 and 1,000 use 6-8 decimal places. This keeps the output readable whether you are converting square millimeters for a microchip layout or square miles for a land survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet are in 200 square meters?
200 square meters equals exactly 2,152.78 ftΒ². Multiply by 10.7639 to convert: 200 Γ 10.7639 = 2,152.78. For a quick mental estimate, multiply by 10.76 β 200 Γ 10.76 = 2,152 ftΒ², which is close enough for property comparisons. The exact figure matters more in construction, where ordering flooring material based on an underestimate means a mid-project supply run.
How many acres is a football field?
A US football field (including both end zones) is about 1.32 acres, or roughly 5,351 mΒ². Without end zones, the playing surface is about 1.1 acres (4,047 mΒ² β almost exactly 1 hectare). A football pitch (soccer field) varies by competition but is typically 0.7-0.8 acres. These references help visualise what an acre looks like: imagine a bit less than a football playing field.
Which unit should I use for my garden β square meters or square feet?
It depends on where you live and what your suppliers use. In the UK, Australia, and most of Europe, garden plans use square meters. In the US, square feet is standard. If you are buying soil or turf by the bag, check what area the bag covers β most UK garden suppliers list mΒ² coverage, while US suppliers list ftΒ². A 10 mΒ² garden bed is about 107.6 ftΒ². Use whichever unit your supplier quotes to avoid conversion errors when ordering.
How do I convert land size from hectares to acres for a property sale?
Multiply the hectare value by 2.47105. A 3-hectare property equals 7.413 acres. For quick estimates, multiply by 2.5 β that gives 7.5 acres, which is about 1.2% high. For a $50,000-per-acre property, that 0.087-acre overestimate translates to roughly $4,350 in valuation difference. For formal property transactions, always use the exact 2.47105 factor or this converter.
What is the difference between a hectare and an are?
An are (a) is 100 square meters β a square with 10-meter sides. A hectare (ha) is 100 ares, or 10,000 mΒ². The are is rarely used today, but the hectare remains the standard metric unit for land measurement. The prefix 'hecto' means 100, so 1 hectare = 100 ares. Think of an are as roughly the size of a small studio apartment (100 mΒ²), and a hectare as 100 of those apartments laid out in a grid.