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Acreage Calculator

Calculate land area in acres from dimensions or convert between acres, square feet, hectares, and other units.

Mode
ft
Acres
0.9183
Acres
0.9183
Hectares
0.3716
Square feet
40,000
Square yards
4,444.44
Square meters
3,716.13

Understanding Acreage

An acre is a unit of land area commonly used in the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries for measuring large plots of land.

What Is an Acre?

One acre equals:

UnitEquivalent
Square feet43,560 sq ft
Square yards4,840 sq yd
Square meters4,047 sq m
Hectares0.4047 ha

Visualizing an Acre

An acre is roughly:

  • Football field: About 90% of an American football field (minus end zones)
  • Square shape: 208.7 ft × 208.7 ft
  • Rectangle: 660 ft × 66 ft (1 furlong × 1 chain)
  • Tennis courts: About 16 tennis courts

Common Land Measurements

TermSize
Lot0.1 - 0.5 acres (typical residential)
Acre43,560 sq ft
Hectare2.471 acres
Section640 acres (1 sq mile)
Township36 sections (23,040 acres)

Calculating Acreage

From dimensions

Acres=Length (ft)×Width (ft)43,560\text{Acres} = \frac{\text{Length (ft)} \times \text{Width (ft)}}{43,560}

From other units

Acres=Square feet43,560mathAcres=Hectares×2.471\text{Acres} = \frac{\text{Square feet}}{43,560} math \text{Acres} = \text{Hectares} \times 2.471

Acreage for Common Uses

Residential lots

Lot sizeDescription
0.1 acreSmall urban lot
0.25 acreStandard suburban lot
0.5 acreLarger suburban lot
1+ acreRural/semi-rural

Agriculture

Crop/UseTypical acreage
Family garden0.1 - 0.25 acres
Market garden1 - 5 acres
Small farm5 - 50 acres
Commercial farm100+ acres

History of the Acre

The acre originated in medieval England as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in one day. The word comes from the Old English "æcer," meaning open field.

The acre was standardized during the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) and has remained unchanged since.

International Variations

While the US and UK use the standard acre, some countries have historical variations:

RegionAcre size
US/UK (standard)43,560 sq ft
Scottish acre1.27 standard acres
Irish acre1.62 standard acres

Converting Between Units

To convert acres to hectares

Hectares=Acres×0.4047\text{Hectares} = \text{Acres} \times 0.4047

To convert hectares to acres

Acres=Hectares×2.471\text{Acres} = \text{Hectares} \times 2.471

Tips for Land Measurement

  1. Irregular shapes: Break into rectangles and triangles, calculate each, then sum
  2. GPS tools: Modern surveying uses GPS for precise measurements
  3. Legal descriptions: Property deeds use metes and bounds or lot/block numbers
  4. Survey stakes: Always verify with a professional survey for purchases