Area Converter m² ⇄ ft² ⇄ acres ⇄ hectares & 13 Units
Convert between square meters, square feet, acres, hectares and more. Professional-grade precision for real estate, construction, agriculture, and land measurement worldwide.
Created by · Kushal Singh, B.Ed
Reviewed by · Pawan, M.Tech Data Science
✓ Expert-Verified & Accurate
Area Converter Calculator
Conversion Results
📊 Visual Comparison
📐 Conversion Formula
What is an Area Converter?
An area converter is a specialized digital tool that transforms area measurements from one unit to another with precision and speed. Whether you're measuring land in acres, calculating floor space in square meters, or comparing property sizes in square feet, this converter handles all common area units used worldwide.
Unlike simple multiplication, professional area converters like this one use internationally recognized conversion factors from standards organizations (NIST, SI) to ensure accuracy. The tool supports both metric units (m², ha, km²) and imperial/US customary units (ft², yd², acres, mi²), making it essential for international real estate, construction projects, and agricultural planning.
Why Area Conversions Matter
In our globalized world, area conversions are critical across multiple domains:
- Real Estate: Property listings worldwide use different units—apartments in m², houses in ft², land in acres or hectares
- Construction: Architects receive plans in one system while materials are specified in another
- Agriculture: Farmers need to convert between hectares and acres for subsidies, crop planning, and international trade
- Legal Documents: Land records may require conversion from traditional local units to standardized metric units
- Academic & Professional: Students and engineers must solve problems across different unit systems
Historical Context
Area measurement has evolved from ancient civilizations' practical needs. The acre originated in medieval England as the area a yoke of oxen could plow in one day (43,560 ft²). The hectare (10,000 m²) was introduced during the French Revolution as part of the metric system's logical, decimal-based approach.
Today, while most countries officially use the metric system, legacy units persist—the US uses acres and square feet extensively, India uses a mix of metric and traditional units, and international commerce requires fluency in both systems. This calculator bridges these historical differences with modern precision.
Supported Area Units Reference
| Unit | Symbol | System | Factor to m² | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Meter | m² | SI/Metric | 1 | Global standard, construction |
| Square Foot | ft² | Imperial/US | 0.09290304 | US real estate, apartments |
| Square Yard | yd² | Imperial/US | 0.83612736 | Carpets, small plots |
| Acre | ac | Imperial/US | 4046.8564224 | Large land, agriculture (US/UK) |
| Hectare | ha | Metric | 10000 | Agriculture (global), large plots |
| Square Kilometer | km² | SI/Metric | 1000000 | Cities, regions, geography |
| Square Mile | mi² | Imperial/US | 2589988.110336 | Large areas (US geography) |
| Square Inch | in² | Imperial/US | 0.00064516 | Small objects, electronics |
| Square Centimeter | cm² | SI/Metric | 0.0001 | Small surfaces, science |
| Are | a | Metric | 100 | Land measurement (Europe) |
How to Use This Area Converter
- Enter your area value in the input field (supports decimals)
- Select the "From" unit from the dropdown (e.g., square meters, acres)
- Click "Convert Area" to see instant results in all 13 supported units
- View the visual graph to understand relative sizes at a glance
- Check the formula explanation to see exactly how the conversion is calculated
- Copy results for your documents, spreadsheets, or reports
💡 Pro Tips
- • For real estate, use m² (international) or ft² (US/India)
- • For agriculture, prefer hectares (metric) or acres (US/UK)
- • For large regions, use km² or mi² for easier reading
- • Match decimal places to your local registry requirements (usually 2-4 decimals)
Common Conversion Examples
🏠 1 m² to ft²
1 m² × 10.7639 = 10.7639 ft²
Standard apartment conversion (India, Europe → US)
🌾 1 acre to hectares
1 ac × 0.404686 = 0.4047 ha
Agricultural land conversion (US → Metric)
📏 1000 ft² to m²
1000 ft² ÷ 10.7639 = 92.9030 m²
Typical 1-bedroom apartment size
🏘️ 1 acre to ft²
1 ac × 43560 = 43,560 ft²
Exact US definition (common residential lot)
🌍 5 hectares to acres
5 ha × 2.47105 = 12.3553 acres
Farm size conversion (Global → US/UK)
🏞️ 1 km² to acres
1 km² ÷ 4046.86 = 247.105 acres
Large tract conversion (municipalities)
📊 Excel & Google Sheets Formulas
Use these ready-made formulas to convert area units in your spreadsheets. Click the copy icon to copy any formula, or download all formulas as an Excel file.
Square Meters (m²) to Square Feet (ft²)
=A2*10.7639
Usage: If A2 contains area in m², this formula converts it to ft²
Example: 20 m² → =A2*10.7639 → 215.278 ft²
Square Feet (ft²) to Square Meters (m²)
=A2/10.7639
Alternative: =A2*0.09290304
Example: 1000 ft² → =A2/10.7639 → 92.903 m²
Hectares (ha) to Acres (ac)
=A2*2.4710538147
Usage: If A2 contains area in hectares, this converts to acres
Example: 5 ha → =A2*2.4710538147 → 12.355 acres
Acres (ac) to Hectares (ha)
=A2/2.4710538147
Alternative: =A2*0.404686
Example: 10 acres → =A2/2.4710538147 → 4.047 ha
Acres (ac) to Square Meters (m²)
=A2*4046.8564224
Usage: Converts acres to exact m² value
Example: 1 acre → =A2*4046.8564224 → 4046.856 m²
Square Meters (m²) to Acres (ac)
=A2/4046.8564224
Usage: Converts m² to acres with high precision
Example: 5000 m² → =A2/4046.8564224 → 1.236 acres
Acres (ac) to Square Feet (ft²)
=A2*43560
Usage: Exact US definition conversion (1 acre = 43,560 ft²)
Example: 0.25 acres → =A2*43560 → 10,890 ft²
Square Feet (ft²) to Acres (ac)
=A2/43560
Usage: Convert large ft² values to acres for easier reading
Example: 21,780 ft² → =A2/43560 → 0.5 acres
Square Meters (m²) to Hectares (ha)
=A2/10000
Usage: Convert m² to hectares (1 ha = 10,000 m²)
Example: 25,000 m² → =A2/10000 → 2.5 ha
Hectares (ha) to Square Meters (m²)
=A2*10000
Usage: Simple multiplication to get exact m² from hectares
Example: 1.5 ha → =A2*10000 → 15,000 m²
⚠️ Common Spreadsheet Mistakes to Avoid
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Confusing length and area conversions: Remember to square the conversion factor when converting area. Example: 1 ft = 0.3048 m, but 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m² (not 0.3048 m²).
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Rounding too early: For large land parcels, rounding intermediate results can create significant errors. Keep full precision in formulas and round only the final display value.
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Mixing decimal and thousand separators: When working with large areas (hectares, km², acres), ensure your locale settings match your data format to avoid misreading numbers.
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Using outdated conversion factors: Always use the international foot (0.3048 m) for modern calculations, not the US survey foot (0.3048006 m) unless working with historical land records.
💡 Pro Tip: Batch Conversion
To convert multiple values at once in Excel or Google Sheets:
- Enter your formula in the first cell (e.g., B2:
=A2*10.7639) - Click the cell and drag the fill handle (small square at bottom-right) down to copy the formula
- The formula will automatically adjust for each row (B3 becomes =A3*10.7639, etc.)
- Format columns with appropriate decimal places using Format → Number → Custom
Frequently Asked Questions - Worldwide Usage
🇮🇳 How is area measured in India?
In India, area measurement varies by context: Real estate commonly uses square feet (ft²) and square yards (gaj), especially in urban areas like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Agricultural land is measured in hectares (ha) and acres, though traditional units like bigha and kattha are still used in rural areas (1 bigha ≈ 2,500 m² in UP, but varies by state). Official documents increasingly require metric units (m², ha) as per government standards. For registry purposes, always verify the specific conversion rates with local authorities, as traditional units differ significantly across states.
🇺🇸 What area units are used in the USA?
The United States predominantly uses imperial/US customary units: Square feet (ft²) for residential and commercial properties (apartments, offices, retail spaces), acres for land and large plots (1 acre = 43,560 ft²), and square miles (mi²) for geographic regions, cities, and states. In scientific and engineering contexts, square meters may be used, but ft² and acres remain the standard for real estate transactions, zoning regulations, and property taxes. The US survey foot (0.3048006 m) is occasionally used in older land records but has been largely replaced by the international foot (0.3048 m).
🇪🇺 What units does Europe use for area?
European countries universally use the metric system: Square meters (m²) for apartments, houses, and small plots, hectares (ha) for agricultural land and forests (1 ha = 10,000 m²), and square kilometers (km²) for large regions and cities. Ares (a), equal to 100 m², are sometimes used in France, Germany, and other continental countries for medium-sized land plots. The UK, while officially metric, still colloquially uses acres for farmland and square feet for property dimensions, though legal documents increasingly require metric units under EU (now retained) standards.
🏘️ How do international real estate listings work?
International real estate platforms often display dual units to accommodate global buyers: listings show both m² (metric) and ft² (imperial) to avoid confusion. For example, a London apartment might be listed as "85 m² (915 ft²)" while a New York condo shows "1,200 ft² (111 m²)". Asia-Pacific markets (China, Japan, Singapore) use m² exclusively. Middle East properties often list in ft² or m² depending on developer preferences. Australia and New Zealand use m² for buildings but may reference acres for large land parcels. When comparing international properties, always convert to a single unit for accurate price-per-area comparisons.
🌾 Which units are used for agricultural land worldwide?
Hectares (ha) are the global standard for agricultural land in most countries including India (official), Brazil, China, EU, and Australia. Acres remain dominant in the United States, Canada (alongside hectares), and parts of the UK for farmland. India sees mixed usage: government records use hectares, but farmers often think in acres or local units (bigha in North India, guntha in South India). Subsidy programs and agricultural statistics increasingly standardize on hectares for international comparability. For farm planning, crop yields are typically expressed per hectare globally (tons/ha) or per acre in the US (bushels/acre).
🔄 How do I convert square meters to square feet?
Multiply square meters by 10.7639 to get square feet. Formula: ft² = m² × 10.7639. Example: 20 m² = 215.28 ft². This conversion is widely used in real estate worldwide, especially when comparing properties between metric countries (India, Europe, China) and imperial countries (USA). To convert back, divide ft² by 10.7639. For quick mental math, remember 1 m² ≈ 11 ft² (rounded). The precise factor comes from the international foot definition (1 ft = 0.3048 m), so 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m², and 1 m² = 10.7639104 ft².
📐 How many square feet are in one acre?
One acre equals exactly 43,560 square feet. This is the standard definition in the US customary system and remains unchanged globally. To convert acres to ft², multiply by 43,560. Example: 0.5 acres = 21,780 ft². Conversely, to find acres from ft², divide by 43,560 (e.g., 10,000 ft² = 0.2296 acres). Origin: An acre was historically defined as the area a team of oxen could plow in one day, standardized to 1 chain × 10 chains = 66 ft × 660 ft = 43,560 ft². For comparison, 1 acre ≈ 4,047 m² or 0.4047 hectares. Common lot sizes: quarter-acre (10,890 ft²), half-acre (21,780 ft²), and one-acre (43,560 ft²) residential plots.
🌍 How do I convert hectares to acres?
Multiply hectares by 2.47105 to get acres. Formula: acres = hectares × 2.47105. Example: 5 hectares = 12.35 acres. This conversion is commonly used in agriculture and large land transactions when comparing metric (Europe, India, China) and imperial (US, UK) systems. To convert back, divide acres by 2.47105 (or multiply by 0.404686). Remember: 1 hectare = 10,000 m² (a square 100m × 100m), while 1 acre = 4,046.86 m² (about 43% smaller). For quick estimates, 1 hectare ≈ 2.5 acres, or 1 acre ≈ 0.4 hectares. Large farms are typically 50-500 hectares (123-1,235 acres).
✅ How accurate are these conversions?
Our conversions are based on official NIST and SI definitions and are accurate to 10+ decimal places. All conversion factors use internationally recognized standards: 1 ft = 0.3048 m (exact, international foot), 1 acre = 43,560 ft² (exact), 1 hectare = 10,000 m² (exact). Results are limited only by JavaScript floating-point precision (typically 15-17 significant digits). For legal documents, registry purposes, and professional applications, these conversions meet all accuracy requirements. Note: Some older US land records use the US survey foot (0.3048006 m), which differs by 2 parts per million—negligible for most purposes but worth noting for high-precision surveying.
⚠️ What are common area conversion mistakes?
1. Squaring length factors: When converting linear measurements (like feet to meters), you must square the conversion factor for area. Example: since 1 ft = 0.3048 m, then 1 ft² = (0.3048)² = 0.09290304 m² (not 0.3048 m²). 2. Confusing acres with square acres: An acre is already an area unit—there's no such thing as a "square acre." 3. Mixing up carpet area vs built-up area: In India, real estate may quote carpet area (usable) or built-up area (includes walls); clarify before converting. 4. Traditional unit variations: Units like bigha, guntha, and kattha vary by state/region—always verify local definitions before converting. 5. Rounding too early: For large plots, rounding intermediate steps can create significant errors; use full precision until the final result.
Methodology & Standards
Conversion Standards
All conversions in this calculator are based on authoritative international standards:
- NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)
- International foot definition: 1 ft = 0.3048 m (exact), adopted globally in 1959
- SI base unit: Square meter (m²) defined from the meter, the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 seconds
- Hectare definition: 1 ha = 10,000 m² (exact, non-SI metric unit accepted for use with SI)
- Acre definition: 1 acre = 43,560 ft² (exact in US customary and imperial systems)
Calculation Method
This calculator uses a base unit approach for maximum accuracy:
- Every area unit has a precise conversion factor to square meters (m²) stored in the system
- Input value is first converted to m² using the source unit's factor
- The m² value is then converted to all target units using their respective factors
- This eliminates compounding rounding errors from multi-step conversions
- Results are displayed with appropriate decimal precision based on unit type
Formula: target_area = input_value × (input_factor / target_factor)
Where factors are the number of m² in one unit of that type.
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⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This area converter provides accurate conversions based on internationally recognized standards (NIST, SI). However, for legal documents, property registry, and official purposes, always verify conversions with local authorities and follow jurisdiction-specific rounding rules. Traditional units (bigha, kattha, guntha) vary significantly by region in India and other countries—consult local land records for exact definitions. Results are for informational and planning purposes; we recommend professional verification for high-stakes transactions.