To convert square feet to square meters, multiply by 0.092903. To convert square meters to square feet, multiply by 10.7639. Our free area converter does this and more, covering square meters, square feet, square yards, acres, hectares, square miles and the smaller metric and imperial squares.
Area units are squares of length units, so their conversion factors are the length factors squared. A foot is 0.3048 meters, so a square foot is 0.3048 × 0.3048 = 0.09290304 square meters. Keep that one idea in mind and every area conversion, from a bedroom floor to a farm, follows the same pattern.
Why area conversion factors are squared
A square meter is a square 1 meter on each side. Measured in feet, each side is 3.28084 ft, so the square covers 3.28084 × 3.28084 = 10.7639 square feet. Using the length factor alone is the most common area conversion mistake.
Take a room 3 m by 4 m. Its area is 12 m². Multiplying 12 by the length factor 3.28084 gives 39.37, which is wrong. The correct answer is 12 × 10.7639 = 129.17 square feet. You get the same result by converting each side first: 9.8425 ft × 13.1234 ft = 129.17 ft². The length converter handles the side lengths, and our guide to length units lists the exact factors.
Area conversion factors
| Unit | Size in square meters | Handy equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Square millimeter (mm²) | 0.000001 | 0.01 cm² |
| Square centimeter (cm²) | 0.0001 | 0.155 in² |
| Square inch (in²) | 0.00064516 | 6.4516 cm² |
| Square foot (ft²) | 0.09290304 | 144 in² |
| Square yard (yd²) | 0.83612736 | 9 ft² |
| Square meter (m²) | 1 | 10.7639 ft² |
| Acre | 4,046.86 | 43,560 ft² |
| Hectare (ha) | 10,000 | 2.4711 acres |
| Square kilometer (km²) | 1,000,000 | 100 hectares |
| Square mile (mi²) | 2,589,988.11 | 640 acres |
The area conversion formula
result = value × (m² per "from" unit) ÷ (m² per "to" unit)
ft² → m²: m² = ft² × 0.092903
m² → ft²: ft² = m² × 10.7639
acres → ha: ha = acres × 0.404686
ha → acres: acres = ha × 2.47105
area of a rectangle = length × width (both in the same unit)Worked examples
Square meters to square feet
A room measures 4 m by 3.5 m.
- Area in square meters: 4 × 3.5 = 14 m².
- Convert: 14 × 10.7639 = 150.69 square feet.
Square feet to square meters
A room measures 12 ft by 15 ft.
- Area in square feet: 12 × 15 = 180 ft².
- Convert: 180 × 0.092903 = 16.72 m².
Acres to hectares
A 2.5-acre plot is 2.5 × 0.404686 = 1.0117 hectares. A hectare is a square 100 m on each side, so an acre is a little over 40% of one.
Irregular rooms and shapes
Split the space into simple shapes, find each area in the same unit, and add them. An L-shaped room made of a 5 m × 4 m section and a 2 m × 3 m section covers 20 + 6 = 26 m², or 279.86 ft². For a triangle, use half of base × height. For a circle, use π × radius².
How to use the Area Converter
- Open the Area Converter. It starts at 1 square meter to square feet, which shows 10.7639.
- Type your area in the Value field. Work out length × width first if you only have the side lengths. Decimals are accepted; negative values are not.
- Pick the unit you have in the From list: square meters, square kilometers, square centimeters, square millimeters, square feet, square inches, square yards, acres, hectares or square miles.
- Pick the unit you need in the To list.
- Read the Result, rounded to four decimal places. It updates as you type.
- Use the swap button between the lists to reverse the conversion.
Practical tips for flooring, paint and land
- Add a waste allowance for flooring and tiles. Cuts and breakage mean you need more than the floor area. Installers commonly add around 5 to 10 percent, more for diagonal or patterned layouts; follow the product's guidance. The percentage calculator works out the extra quickly.
- Convert before comparing coverage. Products are often rated per square foot in the US and per square meter elsewhere. Convert both to the same unit before you compare prices or quantities.
- Use area to get volume. For mulch, gravel, soil or concrete, multiply the area by the depth in the same unit. A 20 m² bed covered 5 cm deep needs 20 × 0.05 = 1 m³, which is 1,000 liters. The volume converter turns cubic meters into liters or US and UK gallons, and our volume conversion guide explains the units.
- Know your land units. Acres are common in the US and UK; hectares are the norm in most other countries and in agricultural statistics.
- Compare baking pans by area. A 9 × 13 inch pan covers 117 square inches, almost double an 8 × 8 inch pan at 64. The baking pan converter scales recipes between pan sizes, and the baking pan conversion guide walks through it.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet are in a square meter?
One square meter equals 10.7639 square feet. Multiply square meters by 10.7639 to get square feet.
How do I convert square feet to square meters?
Multiply square feet by 0.092903, or divide by 10.7639. For example, 500 ft² × 0.092903 = 46.45 m².
How many square feet are in an acre?
One acre is exactly 43,560 square feet, which is about 4,046.86 square meters or 0.4047 hectares.
How big is a hectare?
A hectare is 10,000 square meters, the area of a square 100 meters on each side. It equals about 2.471 acres.
Can I convert square feet to feet?
No. Square feet measure area and feet measure length, so there is no direct conversion. For a square space you can find the side length by taking the square root: 100 square feet is a square 10 feet on each side.
How many acres are in a square mile?
There are exactly 640 acres in a square mile, which is about 259 hectares or 2.59 square kilometers.