Hectare to Square Kilometer Converter
Convert hectares to square kilometers with our free online area converter.
Quick Answer
1 Hectare = 0.01 square kilometers
Formula: Hectare × conversion factor = Square Kilometer
Use the calculator below for instant, accurate conversions.
Our Accuracy Guarantee
All conversion formulas on UnitsConverter.io have been verified against NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines and international SI standards. Our calculations are accurate to 10 decimal places for standard conversions and use arbitrary precision arithmetic for astronomical units.
Hectare to Square Kilometer Calculator
How to Use the Hectare to Square Kilometer Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Hectare).
- The converted value in Square Kilometer will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Area category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Hectare to Square Kilometer: Step-by-Step Guide
Converting Hectare to Square Kilometer involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Hectare = 0.01 square kilometersExample Calculation:
Convert 10 hectares: 10 × 0.01 = 0.1 square kilometers
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
Need to convert to other area units?
View all Area conversions →What is a Hectare and a Square Kilometer?
and Standards
The hectare is defined as an area of exactly 10,000 square meters:
1 ha = 10,000 m² = 100 m × 100 m
Precise Equivalents
- 1 ha = 10,000 m² (exactly, by definition)
- 1 ha = 0.01 km² = 1/100 square kilometer (exactly)
- 1 ha = 100 ares (where 1 are = 100 m²)
- 1 ha = 1 hm² (square hectometer)
- 1 ha = 2.47105 acres (US survey/international)
- 1 ha = 107,639.1 square feet
- 1 ha = 11,959.9 square yards
- 1 ha = 15,500,000 square inches
The hectare derives from the are (symbol: a), a rarely used metric unit defined as 100 m². The prefix hecto- means "hundred," so hectare literally means "hundred ares."
SI Status
The hectare is not an official SI unit—the SI unit of area is the square meter (m²). However, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) explicitly lists the hectare as a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI in its SI Brochure, recognizing its overwhelming practical importance in land measurement globally.
Metric Prefixes and Multiples
While technically compatible with metric prefixes, only a few are used in practice:
- Decare (daa) = 0.1 ha = 1,000 m² (used in some Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries)
- Hectare (ha) = 1 ha = 10,000 m² (standard unit)
- Square kilometer (km²) = 100 ha (preferred for very large areas)
The centiare (1 m²) and are (100 m²) exist theoretically but are rarely used today.
The Square Kilometer (symbol: km² or sq km) is a multiple of the square meter (m²), the base unit of area in the International System of Units (SI). It represents the area of a square whose sides measure exactly one kilometer (km) in length.
Key relationships:
- 1 km² = 1 kilometer × 1 kilometer
- 1 km = 1,000 meters (m)
- Therefore, 1 km² = (1,000 m) × (1,000 m) = 1,000,000 square meters (m²)
- 1 km² = 100 hectares (ha) (since 1 hectare = 10,000 m²)
In terms of imperial/US customary units:
- 1 km² ≈ 0.3861 square miles (mi²) - Convert km² to mi²
- 1 km² ≈ 247.1 acres (ac) - Convert km² to acres
- 1 km² ≈ 10,763,910 square feet (ft²)
Visual perspective:
- 1 km² = 100 football fields (American)
- 1 km² = ~150 soccer fields
- 1 km² = Walking distance of about 1 km × 1 km
- 10 km² = Typical small town
- 100 km² = Medium-sized city
- 1,000 km² = Large metropolitan area
Convert between area units: Square kilometer converter
Note: The Hectare is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Square Kilometer belongs to the metric (SI) system.
History of the Hectare and Square Kilometer
and Evolution
The French Revolution and the Birth of the Metric System (1790s)
The hectare emerged from the revolutionary fervor of 1790s France. The French Revolution sought to overthrow not only the monarchy but also the chaotic patchwork of traditional measurement units that varied by region, trade, and lord. Land measurement was particularly inconsistent: the arpent varied from 34 to 51 ares depending on locality, and dozens of other regional land units created confusion and inequity.
In 1795, the revolutionary government adopted the metric system, including the are as the fundamental unit of land area, defined as 100 square meters (a square 10 meters on each side). The hectare ("hundred ares") was immediately created as a larger, more practical unit for agricultural land, equal to 10,000 square meters—a square 100 meters on each side.
The Triumph of the Hectare over the Are (19th Century)
While the are was the official base unit, it proved awkwardly small for practical agriculture and forestry. A typical farm field might be dozens or hundreds of ares. The hectare, by contrast, was the perfect size: small enough to measure individual fields precisely, large enough to describe farm sizes conveniently. Within decades, the hectare became the dominant unit, and the are faded into obscurity.
Key milestone: In 1879, the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) formally adopted the hectare for international use, cementing its status as the global standard for land measurement.
Global Metrication: The Hectare Spreads Worldwide (1800s-1900s)
As the metric system spread from France across Europe, Latin America, and eventually Asia and Africa, the hectare went with it:
- 1800s: Adopted across continental Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia)
- 1900-1950: Latin American countries metricated (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile)
- 1950-1980: Post-colonial nations in Africa and Asia adopted the metric system, including the hectare (India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya)
- 1970s: Australia and New Zealand officially switched from acres to hectares
- 1980s-present: Even partially metricated countries like Canada and the UK increasingly use hectares for official land statistics
Modern status: As of 2025, the hectare is the primary land measurement unit in over 170 countries, representing more than 95% of the world's population and land area.
Notable Holdouts and Hybrid Systems
United States: Continues to use acres almost exclusively for land measurement, despite metrication in science and industry.
United Kingdom: Officially metricated in the 1990s, but acres persist in casual speech, real estate listings, and tradition. Government statistics use hectares, while property advertisements often show both units.
Myanmar: Uses traditional Burmese land units alongside acres; hectares are rare.
Canada: Officially metricated (hectares), but older Canadians and rural areas often still reference acres informally.
The Hectare in International Agriculture and Forestry
By the mid-20th century, international organizations standardized on the hectare:
- FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): Reports global agricultural data in hectares
- World Bank: Land area statistics in hectares
- IPCC and climate science: Forest cover, deforestation, and carbon storage measured in hectares
- International land treaties: Boundary agreements, protected areas, and resource rights defined in hectares
The hectare's dominance in these domains ensures its continued relevance even in non-metric countries, where professionals in agriculture, forestry, and environmental science routinely convert between acres and hectares.
-
Origin: The square kilometer is derived directly from the kilometer, a unit of length introduced as part of the metric system, which was developed in France during the late 18th century (1790s).
-
Metric System Adoption: The metric system, including the meter and its multiples like the kilometer, was created to provide a standardized, decimal-based system of measurement to replace the chaotic local units of pre-revolutionary France.
-
Natural Evolution: As nations began adopting the metric system throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the square kilometer naturally became the standard unit for expressing large geographical areas - countries, regions, cities, lakes, and forests.
-
International Standardization: The need for a universal unit for geographical measurement became critical as:
- World maps and atlases were standardized
- International treaties needed land area specifications
- Global trade required consistent land measurements
- Scientific exploration needed standard area units
-
SI Standard: The International System of Units (SI), formally established in 1960, confirmed the square meter (m²) as the base unit of area. The square kilometer is a widely accepted and commonly used multiple of this base unit, consistent with SI prefixes (kilo = 1,000).
-
Global Usage Today: The square kilometer is now the predominant unit used worldwide for measuring:
- Land area of countries and territories
- Surface area of continents and islands
- Size of administrative divisions (states, provinces, counties)
- Area of cities and metropolitan regions
- Size of bodies of water (lakes, seas)
- Extent of forests, deserts, and ecosystems
- National parks and protected areas
-
Note on spelling: "Kilometer" (US) and "kilometre" (UK/International) both produce "square kilometer" and "square kilometre" respectively, both referring to the same unit: 1,000,000 m².
Common Uses and Applications: hectares vs square kilometers
Explore the typical applications for both Hectare (imperial/US) and Square Kilometer (metric) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for hectares
1. Agriculture: Farm Sizes and Crop Yields
The hectare is the universal standard for agricultural land measurement worldwide (except in the US). Farm sizes, field areas, crop yields, and agricultural statistics are expressed in hectares.
Crop yields are standardized as metric tons per hectare (t/ha) or kilograms per hectare (kg/ha):
- Wheat: 3-10 t/ha (depending on region and farming intensity)
- Rice: 4-8 t/ha
- Corn (maize): 8-15 t/ha
- Soybeans: 2-5 t/ha
Example: A 50-hectare wheat farm yielding 5 t/ha produces 250 metric tons of wheat annually.
2. Forestry: Timber Yields and Forest Management
Forestry professionals measure forest areas, logging concessions, reforestation projects, and timber yields in hectares.
Timber yield is expressed as cubic meters per hectare (m³/ha):
- Temperate softwood forest: 150-400 m³/ha
- Tropical rainforest: 200-600 m³/ha
- Boreal forest: 80-200 m³/ha
Example: A sustainable logging operation might harvest 5 m³/ha/year from a 1,000-hectare forest, yielding 5,000 m³ of timber annually.
3. Urban Planning: Zoning and Development
Urban planners use hectares to measure development sites, zoning areas, and infrastructure projects. Residential density is often expressed as dwellings per hectare (dw/ha) or persons per hectare (pp/ha).
Typical densities:
- Suburban single-family: 10-25 dw/ha
- Urban townhouses: 30-60 dw/ha
- Mid-rise apartments: 100-200 dw/ha
- High-rise urban core: 300-1,000+ dw/ha
Example: A 20-hectare mixed-use development with an average density of 80 dw/ha would contain 1,600 dwellings.
4. Real Estate: Land Sales and Property Listings
In metricated countries, land parcels are listed in hectares. Small properties (under 1 ha) may be listed in square meters, while large rural properties use hectares.
Example listing: "50-hectare vineyard estate in Tuscany, fully planted, irrigation, farmhouse included."
In hybrid countries like the UK and Canada, listings often show both units: "25 hectares (62 acres)."
5. Environmental Science: Protected Areas and Deforestation
Conservation organizations, national parks, and environmental treaties use hectares to define protected areas, measure deforestation, and calculate carbon storage.
Carbon storage in forests is measured as metric tons of CO₂ equivalent per hectare (tCO₂e/ha):
- Tropical rainforest: 200-600 tCO₂e/ha
- Temperate forest: 100-300 tCO₂e/ha
- Boreal forest: 50-150 tCO₂e/ha
Example: Protecting 10,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest prevents release of ~4,000,000 metric tons of CO₂.
6. International Development and Food Security
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Bank, and UN agencies report agricultural land, arable land per capita, and food production in hectares.
Arable land per capita (global average): ~0.19 ha per person (2025)
- High: Australia ~1.9 ha/person, Canada ~1.2 ha/person
- Low: Bangladesh ~0.05 ha/person, China ~0.08 ha/person
Food security context: Feeding one person for a year requires approximately 0.2-0.3 ha of arable land (depending on diet and farming intensity).
When to Use square kilometers
The square kilometer is the international standard for measuring large-scale areas:
Geography and Cartography
The standard unit for stating land or surface area of countries, continents, large islands, administrative divisions (states, provinces), and major cities.
Geographic Applications:
- Country and territory sizes
- Continental land masses
- Island and archipelago areas
- Administrative boundaries
- Political divisions
- City and metropolitan areas
Why it's universal:
- Standardized for international comparison
- Used in atlases, maps, and geographic databases
- Required for official government statistics
- Essential for treaties and agreements
Convert for international comparisons
Demography
Essential for calculating population density, typically expressed as inhabitants per square kilometer (people/km²). This is the international standard for comparing population distribution.
Population Density Uses:
- Comparing urban vs rural population spread
- Planning infrastructure needs
- Resource allocation per capita
- Understanding settlement patterns
- Environmental impact assessment
Formula: Population Density = Total Population ÷ Area (km²)
Example: Japan has 333 people/km², while Canada has only 4 people/km²
Environmental Science
Measuring the extent of large ecosystems, national parks, conservation areas, watersheds, ice sheets, deforestation, and environmental impacts.
Environmental Applications:
- Forest monitoring: Amazon = 5.5 million km²
- Deforestation tracking: Loss measured in km²/year
- Protected areas: Park sizes, marine reserves
- Ice sheet coverage: Antarctic ice = 14 million km²
- Disaster areas: Flood extent, wildfire spread, oil spill coverage
- Habitat mapping: Species range and distribution
Climate Research:
- Sea ice extent (measured seasonally in km²)
- Glacier coverage changes
- Desert expansion/contraction
- Vegetation cover changes
Use our square kilometer converter for environmental calculations.
Urban Planning and Land Management
Quantifying large zones, districts, or total city area in regional planning, metropolitan development, and land use management.
Urban Applications:
- City boundaries and total area
- Metropolitan area extent
- Urban sprawl measurement
- Zoning district sizes
- Green space allocation
- Development planning
Regional Planning:
- Transportation networks
- Utility coverage areas
- Emergency service zones
- School district boundaries
- Municipal service areas
Geology and Planetary Science
Measuring the surface area of large geological formations or the surface areas of planets, moons, and asteroids.
Geological Features:
- Volcanic fields
- Impact craters
- Lava flow areas
- Tectonic plate coverage
- Mineral deposit areas
Planetary Measurements:
- Earth surface: 510 million km²
- Mars surface: 145 million km²
- Moon surface: 38 million km²
- Crater sizes on planets/moons
Military and Logistics
Defining large operational areas, zones, and territories for defense, operations planning, and strategic analysis.
Military Applications:
- Theater of operations
- Exclusion zones
- Patrol areas
- Training grounds
- Strategic territories
Real Estate and Property (Large Scale)
While hectares or acres are more common for individual properties, square kilometers are used for:
- Very large land holdings (ranches, estates)
- Land development projects
- Agricultural regions
- Forestry concessions
- Mining leases
Example: A large cattle ranch might be 100-500 km²
Agriculture (Regional Scale)
While individual farms use hectares, agricultural regions and total crop areas are measured in square kilometers:
- Total agricultural land per country
- Grain belt regions
- Wine regions
- Crop suitability zones
- Irrigation coverage areas
Example: Corn Belt in USA covers approximately 500,000 km²
International Comparisons
Essential for comparing regions, countries, and geographic features across borders and continents.
Comparison Uses:
- "Country X is about the size of State Y"
- "This forest is larger than Country Z"
- "The disaster area equals 10 times the size of City A"
Common Comparisons:
- Singapore (728 km²) is smaller than New York City (1,214 km²)
- United Kingdom (242,495 km²) is about the same size as Oregon (254,799 km²)
- Australia (7.7 million km²) is about the same size as the contiguous USA (8.1 million km²)
Convert for comparisons: km² to square miles | km² to acres
Additional Unit Information
About Hectare (ha)
How large is a hectare visually?
A hectare is 10,000 square meters, or a square 100 meters on each side.
Visual comparisons:
- 1.4 FIFA soccer fields (a standard soccer pitch is ~7,140 m², so 1 ha ≈ 1.4 pitches)
- Slightly larger than a rugby union pitch (max 100m × 70m = 7,000 m²)
- About 2.5 times an American football field (with end zones: ~5,350 m²)
- Trafalgar Square, London is approximately 1 hectare
Walking it: Walking around the perimeter of a 1-hectare square (400 meters total) takes about 5 minutes at a normal pace.
Running it: A 100m × 100m square has a perimeter of 400 meters—exactly the distance of a standard running track lap.
How many square meters are in a hectare?
Exactly 10,000 square meters (m²) in one hectare.
Formula: m² = ha × 10,000
Examples:
- 0.1 ha = 1,000 m²
- 1 ha = 10,000 m²
- 5 ha = 50,000 m²
- 100 ha = 1,000,000 m² = 1 km²
What is an "are" and how does it relate to a hectare?
The are (symbol: a) is a metric unit of area defined as 100 square meters—a square 10 meters on each side.
Relationship: 1 hectare = 100 ares
The are was the original base unit of land measurement in the metric system (1795), but the hectare (100 ares) proved more practical for actual use. Today, the are is obsolete in most countries, though it persists in legal documents and some rural areas of France and Switzerland.
Related unit: The decare (daa) = 10 ares = 1,000 m² = 0.1 ha, still used in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, and some Middle Eastern countries.
How many acres are in a hectare?
One hectare equals approximately 2.47105 acres (or more precisely, 2.4710538 acres).
Formula: acres = ha × 2.47105
Common conversions:
- 1 ha = 2.47 acres
- 10 ha = 24.71 acres
- 100 ha = 247.1 acres
- 0.5 ha = 1.24 acres
Reverse: 1 acre = 0.4047 hectares
Memory aid: "A hectare is about two and a half acres."
How many hectares are in a square kilometer?
Exactly 100 hectares in one square kilometer.
Formula: ha = km² × 100
Why: 1 km² = 1,000 m × 1,000 m = 1,000,000 m². And 1 ha = 10,000 m². So 1,000,000 ÷ 10,000 = 100.
Examples:
- 0.01 km² = 1 ha
- 0.5 km² = 50 ha
- 1 km² = 100 ha
- 10 km² = 1,000 ha
Large areas: For areas over ~10,000 ha (100 km²), square kilometers become more convenient than hectares.
Is the hectare an official SI unit?
No, the hectare is not an official SI base or derived unit. The SI unit for area is the square meter (m²), and strictly speaking, large areas should be measured in square kilometers (km²).
However, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) explicitly lists the hectare as a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI in the SI Brochure (9th edition, 2019). This recognition acknowledges the hectare's overwhelming global practical importance in agriculture, forestry, and land management.
In practice: Scientific papers, government statistics, and international organizations freely use hectares alongside SI units, and it is universally understood in metric contexts.
Why do some countries still use acres instead of hectares?
United States: Never fully metricated; acres are deeply embedded in property law, surveying, real estate, and agricultural tradition. US land is subdivided based on the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which uses miles, chains, and acres.
United Kingdom: Officially metricated in 1995, but public resistance and tradition mean acres persist in real estate, rural communities, and casual speech. Government reports use hectares, but property listings often show both units.
Historical inertia: Countries that metricated recently (post-1970) often have older generations and established industries (especially real estate and agriculture) that resist change. The UK and Canada show gradual transitions, while the US shows little movement toward hectares.
Practical impact: Professionals working internationally (agriculture, forestry, climate science) routinely convert between acres and hectares, regardless of domestic preference.
How many hectares does it take to feed one person?
This depends on diet and farming intensity:
Vegetarian/low-meat diet (efficient):
- Intensive agriculture (e.g., modern wheat, rice): 0.15-0.20 ha per person
- Organic/lower-input farming: 0.25-0.35 ha per person
High-meat diet (less efficient due to feed conversion):
- Intensive agriculture: 0.35-0.50 ha per person
- Extensive/grassland-based: 0.50-1.00+ ha per person
Global average: Approximately 0.20-0.25 ha of arable land per person is needed to provide a balanced diet (2,500 kcal/day) with moderate meat consumption using modern farming practices.
Current reality: Global arable land per capita is about 0.19 ha per person (2025), down from ~0.38 ha in 1961 due to population growth. Higher yields per hectare have compensated, preventing widespread famine.
How do I measure the hectares of an irregular-shaped property?
Modern methods use GPS and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to calculate areas of irregular parcels precisely:
Method 1: GPS boundary walk
- Walk or drive the perimeter with a GPS receiver
- Software calculates area from GPS coordinates
- Accuracy: ±0.5-2% depending on GPS quality
Method 2: Satellite imagery and GIS software
- Import satellite images or cadastral maps into GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS, Google Earth Pro)
- Trace the boundary polygon
- Software calculates area in hectares
Method 3: Traditional surveying
- Professional land surveyor measures property using theodolite or total station
- Calculates area using coordinate geometry
- Accuracy: ±0.1% or better (legal surveys)
Method 4: Decomposition into simpler shapes
- Divide irregular property into rectangles, triangles, and trapezoids
- Measure each section's dimensions
- Calculate each area and sum them
Example: A property approximated as a large rectangle (300m × 200m = 60,000 m²) plus a triangular section (base 100m, height 50m = 2,500 m²) totals 62,500 m² = 6.25 hectares.
How many soccer fields fit in a hectare?
A standard FIFA soccer pitch has recommended dimensions of 105 meters × 68 meters = 7,140 m².
Calculation: 10,000 m² (1 ha) ÷ 7,140 m² (1 pitch) = 1.40 soccer fields per hectare
Or inversely: 1 soccer field ≈ 0.714 hectares
Note: FIFA allows pitch dimensions from 100-110m length and 64-75m width, so actual pitches vary from ~6,400 m² to ~8,250 m². The 105m × 68m size is the international standard recommendation.
Other comparisons:
- Rugby union pitch (max 100m × 70m): 0.70 ha, so ~1.43 per hectare
- American football field (with end zones, 109.7m × 48.8m): 0.535 ha, so ~1.87 per hectare
What is a "section" in acres and hectares?
A section is a unit of land area used in the United States Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and Canadian Dominion Land Survey (DLS).
Definition: 1 section = 1 square mile = 640 acres = 259 hectares (approximately 258.9988 ha precisely)
Sections divide townships (36 sections per township, each section 1 mile × 1 mile). US and Canadian rural land is often described in sections, half-sections (320 acres / 129.5 ha), or quarter-sections (160 acres / 64.75 ha).
Example: "I own the southwest quarter-section of Section 16" means 160 acres or about 64.75 hectares.
How many hectares is a typical golf course?
Golf course sizes vary widely depending on design, number of holes, and layout:
18-hole courses:
- Compact urban course: 40-50 hectares
- Standard parkland course: 50-70 hectares
- Championship course: 60-80 hectares
- Links course (with extensive dunes/rough): 70-100+ hectares
9-hole courses: 20-35 hectares
Example: Augusta National Golf Club (home of the Masters) is approximately 140 hectares (346 acres).
Comparison: An average 18-hole golf course (~60 ha) is about 24 times the size of a FIFA soccer field (0.714 ha), or roughly 0.6 km².
About Square Kilometer (km²)
How many square meters are in one square kilometer?
There are exactly 1,000,000 square meters (m²) in one square kilometer.
Calculation: 1 km² = 1,000 m × 1,000 m = 1,000,000 m²
Conversion:
- 1 km² = 1,000,000 m²
- 0.1 km² = 100,000 m²
- 0.01 km² = 10,000 m²
- Example: 2.5 km² = 2,500,000 m²
Use our square kilometer to square meter converter for instant conversions.
How many hectares are in one square kilometer?
There are exactly 100 hectares (ha) in one square kilometer.
Why: 1 km² = 1,000,000 m² and 1 ha = 10,000 m², therefore: 1 km² = 1,000,000 m² ÷ 10,000 m²/ha = 100 ha
Conversion examples:
- 1 km² = 100 hectares
- 10 km² = 1,000 hectares
- 0.5 km² = 50 hectares
- 2.5 km² = 250 hectares
When to use which:
- Hectares: Farms, parks, smaller land areas (1-1,000 ha)
- Square kilometers: Cities, regions, countries (0.1+ km²)
Convert between them: km² to hectares | Hectares to km²
How do you convert square kilometers to square miles?
To convert square kilometers to square miles, multiply the area in square kilometers by approximately 0.386102.
Conversion formula: Area [mi²] ≈ Area [km²] × 0.386102
Examples:
- 1 km² ≈ 0.386 mi²
- 10 km² ≈ 3.86 mi²
- 100 km² ≈ 38.6 mi²
- 1,000 km² ≈ 386 mi²
Reverse conversion (square miles to square kilometers):
- Multiply by approximately 2.58999
- 1 mi² ≈ 2.59 km²
Why this factor?:
- 1 km = 0.621371 miles
- 1 km² = (0.621371)² = 0.386102 mi²
Use our km² to mi² converter for accurate conversions without manual calculation.
Is the square kilometer an official SI unit?
Technically, the official SI derived unit for area is the square meter (m²).
However, the square kilometer (km²) is a standard and fully accepted multiple within the metric system and for use alongside SI units.
Why it's accepted:
- Formed by combining an SI prefix (kilo-) with the SI base unit (meter) raised to the power of two
- Follows SI conventions and decimal scaling
- Listed in SI documentation as a "unit accepted for use with SI"
- Used universally in scientific, technical, and official applications
In practice:
- m² is the "base" SI unit for area
- km² is the practical unit for large areas
- Both are fully part of the international metric system
What is the difference between a kilometer and a square kilometer?
Kilometer (km) is a unit of length or distance (one dimension). Square kilometer (km²) is a unit of area (two dimensions).
The difference:
Kilometer (km) - 1D:
- Measures distance, length, height
- Examples: Road length, height of mountain, distance between cities
- Linear measurement
Square Kilometer (km²) - 2D:
- Measures area, surface
- Examples: Size of a country, area of a lake, extent of a forest
- Represents a square with sides of one kilometer each
Key distinction:
- 10 km might be the distance from point A to point B
- 10 km² might be the area of a small town
Analogy:
- Kilometer is like measuring the perimeter of a fence
- Square kilometer is like measuring the area inside the fence
How big is 1 square kilometer visually?
1 square kilometer (km²) is a square with sides exactly 1 kilometer (1,000 meters) long.
Visual comparisons:
- 100 American football fields (including end zones)
- About 150 soccer/football fields
- 0.39 square miles (just over 1/3 of a square mile)
- 247 acres (almost 250 acres)
- A 10-minute walk around the perimeter (4 km)
In city terms:
- Small to medium neighborhood
- 2-4 city blocks (in large US cities)
- Area you could see from a tall building
- Walking distance of 15-20 minutes to cross
In rural terms:
- Large farm
- Small village area
- Several hundred house lots
Perspective:
- Central Park (NYC): 3.41 km²
- Vatican City: 0.44 km²
- Monaco: 2.02 km²
How to visualize: Imagine walking 1 km north, then 1 km east, then 1 km south, then 1 km west back to start - the area inside is 1 km².
What is 100 km² equivalent to?
100 square kilometers = 38.6 square miles = 10,000 hectares = 24,710 acres
City examples (approximately 100 km² or close):
- Paris (city proper): 105 km²
- Washington, D.C.: 177 km²
- Boston: 232 km²
- San Francisco: 121 km²
- Miami: 143 km²
- Manhattan: 59 km² (about 60% of 100 km²)
Country examples (small island nations):
- Maldives: 300 km² (about 3 times)
- Grenada: 344 km² (about 3.5 times)
- Saint Vincent: 389 km² (about 4 times)
Natural features:
- Medium-sized lake
- Large national park or nature reserve
- Small island
- Significant forest area
Population examples:
- At urban density (5,000 people/km²): 500,000 people
- At suburban density (1,000 people/km²): 100,000 people
- At rural density (50 people/km²): 5,000 people
Practical understanding:
- Medium-sized city or large town
- Area you could drive across in 15-30 minutes
- Typical county in smaller US states
Convert 100 km²: to square miles | to hectares
How do you calculate the area in square kilometers?
Basic formula for rectangles: Area (km²) = Length (km) × Width (km)
Step-by-step process:
1. Measure dimensions:
- Measure length and width in kilometers
- If measured in meters, divide by 1,000 to get kilometers
- If measured in miles, multiply by 1.609 to get kilometers
2. Calculate:
- Multiply length by width
- Result is in square kilometers
Examples:
Example 1 - Simple rectangle:
- Length: 5 km
- Width: 3 km
- Area = 5 km × 3 km = 15 km²
Example 2 - From meters:
- Length: 2,500 meters = 2.5 km
- Width: 4,000 meters = 4 km
- Area = 2.5 km × 4 km = 10 km²
Example 3 - From miles:
- Length: 6 miles = 9.66 km
- Width: 4 miles = 6.44 km
- Area = 9.66 km × 6.44 km ≈ 62.2 km²
For complex shapes:
Circle:
- Area = π × radius²
- If radius = 5 km: Area = 3.14159 × 5² ≈ 78.5 km²
Irregular shapes:
- Divide into triangles/rectangles
- Calculate each section
- Add all sections together
- Or use GIS/mapping software
Using GPS coordinates:
- Use online area calculators
- Import coordinates into GIS software
- Software calculates irregular polygons automatically
Verification:
- Use our area converter to check your calculations
- Convert to other units to verify makes sense
What countries are about 1,000 km²?
Countries close to 1,000 km² (between 500-1,500 km²):
Very close to 1,000 km²:
- Hong Kong: 1,104 km²
- Samoa: 2,842 km²
- Luxembourg: 2,586 km²
- Mauritius: 2,040 km²
Between 500-1,000 km²:
- Singapore: 728 km²
- Bahrain: 778 km²
- Kiribati: 811 km²
- Tonga: 747 km²
- Federated States of Micronesia: 702 km²
- Saint Lucia: 617 km²
- Andorra: 468 km²
Between 1,000-1,500 km²:
- Cape Verde: 4,033 km²
- Trinidad and Tobago: 5,131 km²
- Comoros: 1,862 km²
- São Tomé and Príncipe: 964 km²
For comparison:
- 1,000 km² = 386 square miles
- About the size of Hong Kong or 10x the size of Paris
- Smaller than most US counties
- Medium-sized metropolitan area
Interesting fact: Only about 30 countries are smaller than 1,000 km², mostly island nations and microstates.
How many acres is a square kilometer?
1 square kilometer = 247.105 acres (commonly rounded to 247 acres)
Conversion formula: Acres = km² × 247.105
Examples:
- 1 km² = 247 acres
- 5 km² = 1,235 acres
- 10 km² = 2,471 acres
- 100 km² = 24,710 acres
- 0.1 km² = 24.7 acres
Reverse conversion (acres to km²):
- 1 acre = 0.00405 km²
- 100 acres = 0.405 km²
- 1,000 acres = 4.05 km²
- 10,000 acres = 40.5 km²
Perspective:
- A square kilometer is about 247 football fields
- A large farm might be 200-400 acres (0.8-1.6 km²)
- A golf course is typically 50-80 acres (0.2-0.3 km²)
When to use which:
- Acres: US land parcels, farms, developments (< 1,000 acres)
- Square kilometers: Large regions, cities, countries (> 0.5 km²)
Use our converter: km² to acres | Acres to km²
How is square kilometers different from cubic kilometers?
Square Kilometers (km²) and Cubic Kilometers (km³) measure different things:
Square Kilometers (km²) - AREA (2D):
- Measures surface area
- Two-dimensional
- Example: Land area of a country, surface of a lake
- Unit: km × km = km²
Cubic Kilometers (km³) - VOLUME (3D):
- Measures volume or capacity
- Three-dimensional
- Example: Volume of water in a lake, ice in a glacier
- Unit: km × km × km = km³
Real-world examples:
Lake Michigan:
- Area (surface): 58,000 km²
- Volume (water): 4,920 km³
Amazon Rainforest:
- Area (coverage): 5,500,000 km²
- Volume (if measuring biomass in 3D): Would be km³
City:
- Area (footprint): Measured in km²
- Volume (including buildings/air): Could be km³ (rarely used)
Key differences:
| Feature | km² (Area) | km³ (Volume) | |---------|-----------|--------------| | Dimensions | 2D (length × width) | 3D (length × width × height) | | Measures | Surface area | Space/capacity | | Examples | Country size, lake surface | Water volume, ice volume | | Conversion | 1 km² = 1,000,000 m² | 1 km³ = 1,000,000,000 m³ |
Remember:
- km² = Flat surface measurement
- km³ = 3D space measurement
What is the area of the Earth in square kilometers?
Total Earth surface area: Approximately 510,000,000 km² (510 million km²)
Breakdown:
Water (Oceans and seas):
- Area: ~361,000,000 km² (361 million km²)
- Percentage: ~71% of Earth's surface
- All oceans, seas, lakes combined
Land:
- Area: ~149,000,000 km² (149 million km²)
- Percentage: ~29% of Earth's surface
- All continents and islands
Continents by area:
- Asia: 44,579,000 km²
- Africa: 30,370,000 km²
- North America: 24,709,000 km²
- South America: 17,840,000 km²
- Antarctica: 14,000,000 km² (varies with ice)
- Europe: 10,180,000 km²
- Australia/Oceania: 8,600,000 km²
Oceans by area:
- Pacific: 165,200,000 km²
- Atlantic: 106,460,000 km²
- Indian: 70,560,000 km²
- Southern: 20,327,000 km²
- Arctic: 14,060,000 km²
In other units:
- 510 million km² = 196.9 million mi²
- 510 million km² = 51 billion hectares
Interesting comparisons:
- Russia (largest country): 17 million km² = 3.3% of Earth's surface
- Pacific Ocean alone: 32% of Earth's surface
- All land combined: About the size of the Pacific Ocean + Atlantic Ocean
Note: These are approximate values; exact measurements vary slightly based on sea level, ice coverage, and measurement methodology.
Conversion Table: Hectare to Square Kilometer
| Hectare (ha) | Square Kilometer (km²) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.005 |
| 1 | 0.01 |
| 1.5 | 0.015 |
| 2 | 0.02 |
| 5 | 0.05 |
| 10 | 0.1 |
| 25 | 0.25 |
| 50 | 0.5 |
| 100 | 1 |
| 250 | 2.5 |
| 500 | 5 |
| 1,000 | 10 |
People Also Ask
How do I convert Hectare to Square Kilometer?
To convert Hectare to Square Kilometer, enter the value in Hectare in the calculator above. The conversion will happen automatically. Use our free online converter for instant and accurate results. You can also visit our area converter page to convert between other units in this category.
Learn more →What is the conversion factor from Hectare to Square Kilometer?
The conversion factor depends on the specific relationship between Hectare and Square Kilometer. You can find the exact conversion formula and factor on this page. Our calculator handles all calculations automatically. See the conversion table above for common values.
Can I convert Square Kilometer back to Hectare?
Yes! You can easily convert Square Kilometer back to Hectare by using the swap button (⇌) in the calculator above, or by visiting our Square Kilometer to Hectare converter page. You can also explore other area conversions on our category page.
Learn more →What are common uses for Hectare and Square Kilometer?
Hectare and Square Kilometer are both standard units used in area measurements. They are commonly used in various applications including engineering, construction, cooking, and scientific research. Browse our area converter for more conversion options.
For more area conversion questions, visit our FAQ page or explore our conversion guides.
Helpful Conversion Guides
Learn more about unit conversion with our comprehensive guides:
All Area Conversions
Other Area Units and Conversions
Explore other area units and their conversion options:
- Square Meter (m²) • Hectare to Square Meter
- Square Centimeter (cm²) • Hectare to Square Centimeter
- Square Millimeter (mm²) • Hectare to Square Millimeter
- Square Inch (in²) • Hectare to Square Inch
- Square Foot (ft²) • Hectare to Square Foot
- Square Yard (yd²) • Hectare to Square Yard
- Square Mile (mi²) • Hectare to Square Mile
- Acre (acre) • Hectare to Acre
Verified Against Authority Standards
All conversion formulas have been verified against international standards and authoritative sources to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability.
National Institute of Standards and Technology — Standards for area measurements
Last verified: December 3, 2025