Square Mile (mi²) - Unit Information & Conversion
What is a Square Mile?
Definition
The square mile (symbol: mi², sq mi) is an imperial and US customary unit of area. It represents the area of a square with sides that are each one statute mile long.
History
Derived from the mile, a unit of distance with Roman origins, the square mile became a standard unit for measuring large land areas in the imperial system, particularly within the British Empire and the United States. It's often used for geographic and administrative divisions.
Common Uses
- Geography & Cartography (US/UK): Used for measuring large land areas such as counties, national parks, large estates, or city limits in countries using the imperial/US customary system.
- Demographics (US/UK): Calculating population density (people per sq mi) in relevant regions.
- Surveying: Used in land surveying for large tracts of land.
- Historical Records: Appears in older land deeds and geographical descriptions in relevant countries.
Unit FAQs
How many acres are in a square mile?
There are exactly 640 acres in one square mile.
How many square feet are in a square mile?
One square mile contains 27,878,400 square feet (5280 feet x 5280 feet).
How many square kilometers are in a square mile?
One square mile is approximately 2.59 square kilometers.
Is the square mile used globally?
No, its use is primarily confined to the United States and other countries that traditionally use the imperial or US customary systems for land measurement. The square kilometer is the more common international standard for large areas.
Square Mile Conversion Formulas
To Square Meter:
To Square Kilometer:
To Square Centimeter:
To Square Millimeter:
To Square Inch:
To Square Foot:
To Square Yard:
To Acre:
To Hectare:
Convert Square Mile
Need to convert Square Mile to other area units? Use our conversion tool.