Understanding the Size of an Acre: From Square Meters to Square Feet

An acre is a unit of area commonly used in the United States and other countries, primarily for measuring land. It is defined in various ways, depending on the desired dimensions but consistently measured in square feet or square meters. This article will explore the different sizes and dimensions of an acre and how to convert between square feet and square meters.

Area of an Acre

The area of an acre is defined as 43,560 square feet. This measurement is legally defined in the International System of Units (SI) as:

43560 ft2

Using the legally defined foot as 0.3048 meters, we can convert the area of an acre to square meters:

43560 ft2 times; 0.3048 m/ft2  4046.8564224 m2

Dimensions of an Acre

While the area of an acre remains constant, its dimensions can vary. A commonly referenced rectangular shape for an acre is:

Length: 660 feet Width: 66 feet

These dimensions can be converted to meters as follows:

660 feet times; 0.3048 m/foot  196.86 meters
66 feet times; 0.3048 m/foot  20.1168 meters

For a square acre, each side would measure approximately 208.71 feet (63.612 meters), resulting in:

208.71 feet times; 208.71 feet  43560 sq ft208.71 meters times; 208.71 meters  43560 sq m

Convert Square Feet to Square Meters

To convert the area of an acre from square feet to square meters:

43560 sq ft times; 0.09290304 sq m/sq ft  4046.8564224 sq m

Conversely, to find the length and width of a rectangular land area in feet that equals one acre:

Length times; Width  43560 sq ft

For example, a rectangle could be 100 feet by 435.6 feet, or 220 feet by 198 feet, both areas equaling one acre.

Flexibility in Acre Dimensions

The key takeaway is the flexible nature of an acre's size. An acre can be a wide, narrow strip of land, or any combination of width and length, as long as the total area is 43,560 square feet. This allows for two extremes:

A very long and narrow strip of land (e.g., 1 meter wide and 4046.86 meters long) A nearly square plot (e.g., 208.71 meters by 208.71 meters)

Regardless of the dimensions, the area remains constant at 4046.85642 square meters or 43,560 square feet.