Land Area Conversion: 1 square mile = 640 acres | Essential for real estate, surveying, and geographic measurements

Square Miles to Acres Converter

Accurate conversion between square miles and acres for land surveying, real estate, geography, and property planning. Get precise results with customizable decimal precision.

1 square mile = 640 acres | Default: 2 decimal places

Conversion Factor

1 square mile (sq mi) = 640 acres | 1 acre = 0.0015625 square miles

sq mi
acres

Precision: 2 Decimal Places | Formula: acres = sq mi × 640

Common Land Area Measurements

Square Miles and Acres

Understanding these essential land area units for real estate, surveying, and geographic planning.

The Conversion Formula

Square Mile to Acre Conversion

1 square mile (sq mi) = 640 acres
1 acre = 0.0015625 square miles
Acres = Square Miles × 640
Square Miles = Acres × 0.0015625

Example Calculation 1:

Convert 0.5 square miles to acres:

acres = sq mi × 640

acres = 0.5 × 640

acres = 320 (with 0 decimal places)

Example Calculation 2:

Convert 1280 acres to square miles:

sq mi = acres × 0.0015625

sq mi = 1280 × 0.0015625

sq mi = 2 (with 0 decimal place)

Note: These conversions are standard for US customary and imperial land measurement systems

When to Use This Conversion:

  • Real estate property listing and valuation
  • Land surveying and boundary mapping
  • Agricultural land size calculation
  • Geographic and regional planning
  • Government land records and taxation
  • Environmental conservation area measurements

About the Units

Square Mile (sq mi)

A unit of area equal to the area of a square with sides of one mile in length. It is widely used in the United States and other countries for measuring large land areas.

Equivalents:

  • 1 sq mi = 640 acres
  • 1 sq mi = 2,589,988.11 square meters
  • 1 sq mi = 258.9988 hectares
  • 1 sq mi = 5,280 × 5,280 square feet
  • 4 sq mi = 1 section (US surveying)

Note: Also referred to as a "section" in US public land surveying (1 section = 1 sq mi)

Acre

A unit of area commonly used for measuring land, particularly in real estate and agriculture. One acre is equal to 43,560 square feet or 1/640 of a square mile.

Equivalents:

  • 1 acre = 0.0015625 sq mi
  • 1 acre = 43,560 square feet
  • 1 acre = 4,046.86 square meters
  • 1 acre = 0.404686 hectares
  • 160 acres = 1 quarter section

Note: US survey acres and international acres differ slightly (negligible for most uses)

Common Land Area Equivalents:

Square Miles Acres Square Feet Hectares Square Meters
0.0015625 1 acre 43,560 sq ft 0.4047 ha 4,046.86 sq m
0.25 160 acres 6,969,600 sq ft 101.17 ha 647,497 sq m
0.5 320 acres 13,939,200 sq ft 202.34 ha 1,294,994 sq m
1 640 acres 27,878,400 sq ft 258.9988 ha 2,589,988 sq m
2 1,280 acres 55,756,800 sq ft 517.9976 ha 5,179,976 sq m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about square miles, acres, and land area conversions.

There are exactly 640 acres in one square mile. This is a standard conversion in both US customary and imperial measurement systems, and it is widely used in land surveying, real estate, and agriculture. The relationship can be expressed in multiple ways:

1 square mile (sq mi) = 640 acres

1 acre = 0.0015625 square miles

Square Miles to Acres: acres = sq mi × 640

Acres to Square Miles: sq mi = acres × 0.0015625

This conversion is critical for calculating large land areas, such as farms, forests, or real estate developments.

Square miles and acres are primarily used in countries that follow US customary or imperial measurement systems, and are not universal in the metric system:

Countries That Use Them
  • United States (widely used)
  • United Kingdom (limited use)
  • Canada (mixed with metric)
  • Australia (mixed with metric)
  • New Zealand (mixed with metric)
Metric Alternatives
  • Hectares (1 ha = 2.471 acres)
  • Square kilometers (1 sq km = 0.386 sq mi)
  • Square meters (1 sq m = 0.000247 acres)
  • Widely used in EU, Asia, Africa
  • Standard for scientific research
Key Use Cases
  • Real estate listings (US/UK)
  • Agricultural land sizing
  • Government land records
  • Wildlife reserve measurements
  • Historical land surveys

This converter uses the standard US customary conversion (1 sq mi = 640 acres), which is the most commonly referenced conversion for global land-related tasks.

The survey acre and international acre are two slightly different variations of the acre unit, with minimal differences for most practical uses:

  • US Survey Acre: Used in US land surveying, defined as 43,560 square survey feet (1 survey foot = 1200/3937 meters). It is slightly larger than the international acre.
  • International Acre: The global standard, defined as 43,560 international square feet (1 international foot = 0.3048 meters exactly).
  • Size Difference: The survey acre is approximately 4,046.87260987 square meters, while the international acre is 4,046.8564224 square meters — a difference of only ~0.0004%.
  • Practical Impact: This difference is negligible for most real estate, agricultural, or general use cases. It only matters for highly precise government land surveys or large-scale geographic mapping.

This converter uses the international acre conversion (1 sq mi = 640 international acres), which is suitable for 99% of user needs.

The 1 square mile = 640 acres conversion has historical roots in US public land surveying and traditional measurement systems:

Historical Origin
  • Derives from the US Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
  • 1 square mile = 1 "section" of land
  • 1 section is divided into 16 "quarter sections" (40 acres each)
  • 16 quarter sections × 40 acres = 640 acres per section (sq mi)
  • Rooted in 18th/19th century land distribution policies
Mathematical Breakdown
  • 1 mile = 5,280 feet
  • 1 square mile = 5,280 × 5,280 = 27,878,400 sq ft
  • 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft
  • 27,878,400 ÷ 43,560 = 640 acres
  • Simple division explains the exact conversion

This conversion has stood the test of time and remains the standard for land measurement in the United States, particularly for real estate and agricultural purposes.

This square mile to acre converter is ideal for real estate and farming tasks — here's how to use it effectively:

  • Real Estate Valuation: Enter the property size in square miles (or acres) to convert to the unit your buyer/seller prefers, then calculate price per acre (total price ÷ number of acres).
  • Farming Land Planning: Convert large land parcels (in square miles) to acres to determine crop planting capacity, irrigation needs, or livestock grazing area.
  • Precision Adjustment: Use the decimal precision buttons (0-4 decimals) to match the accuracy required for legal land documents or contracts.
  • Quick Shortcuts: Use the common land area buttons (1 acre, 160 acres, etc.) for fast conversions of standard property sizes.
  • Copy Results: Use the "Copy Result" or "Copy Steps" buttons to easily insert conversions into spreadsheets, listing descriptions, or survey reports.

For legal or official purposes, always verify conversions with a licensed land surveyor to ensure compliance with local regulations.

Conversion Table: Square Miles to Acres

Common land area measurements for real estate, surveying, and agricultural planning.

Square Miles Acres Square Feet Hectares Common Uses
0.0015625 1 acre 43,560 sq ft 0.4047 ha Small residential lot
0.0625 40 acres 1,742,400 sq ft 16.187 ha Small farm or ranch
0.25 160 acres 6,969,600 sq ft 101.17 ha Quarter section (farm land)
0.5 320 acres 13,939,200 sq ft 202.34 ha Large farm or rural property
1 640 acres 27,878,400 sq ft 258.9988 ha 1 section (US surveying)
2 1,280 acres 55,756,800 sq ft 517.9976 ha Large ranch or forest tract
4 2,560 acres 111,513,600 sq ft 1,035.995 ha Commercial agricultural land
10 6,400 acres 278,784,000 sq ft 2,589.988 ha Regional park or wildlife reserve

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