📏 Area Converter
Convert area measurements between metric, imperial, and other units instantly
💡 Quick Reference: 1 m² = 10.764 ft² | 1 hectare = 2.471 acres | 1 acre = 43,560 ft²
Common Area Conversions
Square Meters ⟷ Square Feet
1 m² = 10.764 ft²
1 ft² = 0.0929 m²
Hectares ⟷ Acres
1 ha = 2.471 acres
1 acre = 0.4047 ha
Square Kilometers ⟷ Square Miles
1 km² = 0.386 mi²
1 mi² = 2.590 km²
📋 Table of Contents
📏 What is an Area Converter?
An area converter is a calculation tool that transforms area measurements from one unit system to another—whether metric (square meters, hectares), imperial (square feet, acres), or specialized units. This converter eliminates manual calculation errors and provides instant, accurate conversions essential for international real estate transactions, construction projects, land surveying, scientific research, and everyday spatial measurements.
As an international civil engineer who has worked on construction projects across North America, Europe, and Asia for over 20 years, I've witnessed countless costly errors arising from area conversion mistakes—from misquoted property prices due to square meter/square foot confusion to construction material overages from incorrect hectare-to-acre conversions. One memorable incident involved a $2.3 million overcharge on a Dubai development because the contractor confused square meters with square feet when ordering flooring—a 10.764× error that took months of litigation to resolve.
Critical Context: Area conversion is non-linear—you cannot simply convert length measurements and expect accurate area results. Since area = length × width, converting areas requires squaring the linear conversion factor. For example, since 1 meter = 3.281 feet, 1 square meter = (3.281)² = 10.764 square feet, not 3.281 square feet. This fundamental principle prevents the most common conversion errors.
Understanding Area Measurement Systems
Three primary systems dominate global area measurement:
Metric System (SI)
Base unit: Square meter (m²). Common units: cm², m², km², hectare (10,000 m²), are (100 m²). Used globally in science, most countries' construction, international trade.
Imperial System
Base unit: Square foot (ft²). Common units: in², ft², yd², acre (43,560 ft²), mi². Primary in USA, Myanmar, Liberia. UK uses hybrid system.
Traditional/Regional
Examples: Bigha (India/Pakistan), Rai (Thailand), Dunam (Middle East), Mu (China). Often legally defined in terms of metric or imperial equivalents for modern transactions.
📊 Complete Area Conversion Reference Table
📐 Formulae for Area Conversion
Area conversion formulas are based on precise mathematical relationships between unit systems, derived from squared linear conversion factors:
1. Square Meters ⟷ Square Feet Conversion
Most Common Metric-Imperial Conversion:
ft² = m² × 10.7639104
m² = ft² × 0.09290304
Formula Derivation:
1 foot = 0.3048 meters (exact)
1 ft² = (0.3048 m)² = 0.09290304 m²
Therefore: 1 m² = 1 ÷ 0.09290304 = 10.7639104 ft²
Example: 50 m² apartment
ft² = 50 × 10.7639104
ft² = 538.2 square feet
2. Hectares ⟷ Acres Conversion
Agricultural Land Measurement:
acres = hectares × 2.47105381
hectares = acres × 0.40468564
Key Relationships:
- • 1 hectare = 10,000 m²
- • 1 acre = 43,560 ft²
- • 1 hectare = 2.471 acres
- • 1 acre = 0.4047 hectares
3. Universal Area Conversion Formula
Converting Any Area Units:
Area (Unit B) = Area (Unit A) × Conversion Factor
Conversion Factor = (Linear Factor A→B)²
Example: Square yards to square meters
1 yard = 0.9144 meters
1 yd² = (0.9144)² = 0.83612736 m²
Converting 100 yd²: 100 × 0.83612736 = 83.61 m²
Professional Tip: For legal documents, real estate contracts, and engineering specifications, always use full-precision conversion factors (not rounded values). The difference between using 10.764 ft²/m² versus the exact 10.7639104 ft²/m² may seem trivial, but on a 10,000 m² property, this creates a 39 ft² discrepancy—potentially worth thousands of dollars in prime real estate markets.