sq miles to km² Converter
Unit Converter
Instant · Precise · Universal
23 units available
6 categories total
How to Convert Square Mile to Square Kilometer
To convert mi² to km²: multiply by 2.59. To acres: multiply by 640. To hectares: multiply by 259.
1 mi² = 640 acres = 27,878,400 ft² = 2.59 km² = 259 ha.
For example, 1 Square Mile (mi²) = 2.58998811 Square Kilometer (km²).
Square Mile to Square Kilometer — Common Values
| Square Mile (mi²) | Square Kilometer (km²) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.258998811 |
| 0.5 | 1.294994055 |
| 1 | 2.58998811 |
| 2 | 5.179976221 |
| 5 | 12.94994055 |
| 10 | 25.8998811 |
| 25 | 64.74970276 |
| 50 | 129.4994055 |
| 100 | 258.998811 |
| 500 | 1294.994055 |
| 1000 | 2589.98811 |
About Square Mile (mi²)
Definition
The square mile is an imperial unit of area equal to the area of a square with sides of one mile (2.59 km²).
Mathematical Relationship
1 mi² = 640 acres = 27,878,400 ft² = 2.59 km² = 259 ha.
Conversion Formula
To convert mi² to km²: multiply by 2.59. To acres: multiply by 640. To hectares: multiply by 259.
Practical Applications
City areas, county sizes, population density, land surveys, and geographic comparisons.
Interesting Facts
Manhattan is about 22.8 mi². The state of Texas is 268,596 mi². Rhode Island (smallest US state) is 1,214 mi².
Common Mistakes
1 mi ≈ 1.609 km, but 1 mi² ≈ 2.59 km² (not 1.609). Area conversion squares the factor.
Educational Tips
1 mi² = 640 acres. This 'section' (640 acres) is the basis of the US Public Land Survey System grid.
About Square Kilometer (km²)
Definition
The square kilometer is a metric unit of area equal to 1,000,000 square meters, or a square with sides of 1 kilometer.
Mathematical Relationship
1 km² = 1,000,000 m² = 100 ha = 247.105 acres ≈ 0.3861 mi².
Conversion Formula
To convert km² to mi²: multiply by 0.3861. To hectares: multiply by 100. To acres: multiply by 247.105.
Practical Applications
Country areas, national park sizes, city footprints, forest coverage, and watershed boundaries.
Interesting Facts
Vatican City = 0.44 km². Manhattan = 59.1 km². Russia = 17,098,242 km² (largest country). Earth's surface = 510,072,000 km².
Common Mistakes
Thinking 1 km² = 1,000 m² (it's actually 1,000,000 m²). Area scales as the square of the linear dimension.
Educational Tips
1 km = 1,000 m, but 1 km² = 1,000² m² = 1,000,000 m². Always square the conversion factor for area.