Area Converter
Area factors are squared length factors
The most common mistake with areas is to reuse the length factor. One metre is 3.281 feet, but one square metre is 3.281 × 3.281 = 10.764 square feet, because an area has two dimensions. The same applies to every unit: 1 m² = 10,000 cm², not 100.
| Unit | In square metres |
|---|---|
| 1 square inch (in²) | 0.00064516 m² |
| 1 square foot (ft²) | 0.0929 m² |
| 1 square yard (yd²) | 0.8361 m² |
| 1 acre | 4,046.86 m² |
| 1 hectare (ha) | 10,000 m² |
| 1 square kilometre (km²) | 1,000,000 m² = 100 ha |
| 1 square mile (mi²) | 2.59 km² = 640 acres |
Worked examples
- An 80 m² flat is 80 × 10.764 = 861 ft².
- A 2,000 ft² house is 2,000 × 0.0929 = 185.8 m².
- 1 acre = 0.405 ha, so a 10-acre plot is about 4 hectares.
Picturing the units
- A hectare is a square of 100 m × 100 m — roughly one and a half football pitches (a 105 × 68 m pitch is 0.71 ha).
- An acre was historically the area a team of oxen could plough in a day; it is about 64 m × 64 m if laid out as a square.
- Property listings in the US and UK often use square feet, while continental Europe uses square metres — this converter lets you compare them directly.
To compute an area from dimensions first, use the rectangle, triangle or circle area calculators, then convert the result here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet are in a square metre?
10.764 square feet. Conversely, one square foot is 0.0929 m².
What is the difference between a hectare and an acre?
A hectare is 10,000 m²; an acre is 4,046.86 m². One hectare is therefore about 2.47 acres.
Why is 1 m² not 100 cm²?
Because both sides are multiplied: 100 cm × 100 cm = 10,000 cm². Always square the length factor when converting areas.