Convert Area from Square Miles to Ares (mi² to a)

Square Mile to Are Conversion Formula

Example

Let's convert 5 Square Mile (mi²) to Are (a).

Using the formula:

Therefore, 5 Square Mile (mi²) is equal to 129499.53083919397245 Are (a).

How many square miles are in one are? One Are (a) contains 0.000038610178489439853076 Square Miles (mi²) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 25899.906167838794489 takes you from square miles to ares; multiplying by 0.000038610178489439853076 brings you back.

Put in words: one square mile equals 25899.906167838794489 ares, so the square mile is the larger unit of this pair. Converting between them never changes the amount of area being measured — only the size of the unit you count it in.

What is a Square Mile (mi²)?

A square mile (mi²), with its plural form being square miles, is an imperial unit of area equal to 27,878,400 square feet (ft²).

Why is London's Financial Center Called the "Square Mile"?

The "Square Mile" is the famous nickname for the City of London, the historic heart and central financial district of London, England.

This nickname comes from its compact geographical area of just 1.12 square miles (2.90 km²).

Despite its small size, it remains a global hub for finance and business, home to landmarks like the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange.

How Do You Convert Square Miles to Other Units?

Converting square miles to other units is essential for comparing land areas globally.

One square mile is equivalent to:

• 2.59 square kilometers (km²)
• 640 acres
• 259 hectares

This is especially useful when comparing data from countries that use the imperial system (like the United States) with those that use the metric system.

How is the Square Mile Used in the United States?

In the United States, the square mile is a fundamental unit in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).

This system, used since 1785 to survey and sell land, is based on a grid. Here's how it works:

• Land is divided into square townships, each measuring six miles on each side.
• Each township is then divided into 36 sections.
• Each section measures exactly one square mile (or 640 acres).

What is an Are (a)?

An are (a) is a metric unit of area, defined as 100 square meters (100 m²).

It is part of the same system as the more widely known hectare. The plural form is ares.

From Are to Hectare: A Common Land Measurement

The hectare (ha), a much more common unit for measuring land, is derived directly from the are.

The prefix 'hecto-' means 100, so one hectare is equal to 100 ares.

Since one are is 100 square meters, a hectare is equivalent to 10,000 square meters (100 ares × 100 m²/are). This makes the hectare an ideal unit for measuring large areas, such as farms, forests, and parks.

The History and Modern Use of the Are

The are was first established as part of the original French metric system in 1795. It was designed to serve as a standard base unit for measuring land, simplifying calculations required by older, traditional units.

While the hectare is more common today in agriculture and forestry, the are is still used in specific contexts, such as real estate and land registries in many countries, particularly throughout Europe.

Related Metric Units: Centiare, Decare, and Hectare

The are serves as the foundation for other metric units of land area, making conversions straightforward. The most common related units include:

• Centiare (ca): Equal to one-hundredth of an are. This makes a centiare precisely one square meter (1 m²).
• Decare (daa): Equal to ten ares, or 1,000 square meters (1,000 m²). The decare is often used for land measurement in parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
• Hectare (ha): Equal to one hundred ares, or 10,000 square meters (10,000 m²).

Square Mile to Are Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from Square Mile (mi²) to Are (a):