Square Mile to Acre Conversion

Definition: A square mile (symbol: mi²) is an imperial and US customary unit of area equal to the area of a square with 1 mile (5280 feet) on each side. One square mile equals exactly 2.589988 square kilometers or 640 acres.

History: Originated from the English system of measurement, with the mile dating back to Roman times. The square mile became standard for land measurement in the British Empire and later in the United States.

Current use: Primarily used in the United States for measuring large land areas such as cities, counties, and national parks. Commonly appears in US real estate, zoning laws, and geographical surveys. The UK has largely transitioned to square kilometers but still uses square miles in some contexts.