Unit converter
Acres to Square Feet Converter
An acre contains exactly 43,560 square feet, a figure that falls out of the old definition of one chain by one furlong (66 ft by 660 ft). Enter an area in acres and this tool returns the equivalent in square feet, with a table for the sizes people check most often. Surveyors, estate agents and farmers reach for this when a plot is sold by the acre but quoted in square feet, when working out how many house lots fit on a field, or when comparing a sports pitch against a building footprint.
1 acre = 43,560 square feet
Common acres to square feet values
| Acres | Square feet |
|---|---|
| 1 ac | 43,560 ft² |
| 2 ac | 87,120 ft² |
| 5 ac | 217,800 ft² |
| 10 ac | 435,600 ft² |
| 20 ac | 871,200 ft² |
| 50 ac | 2,178,000 ft² |
| 100 ac | 4,356,000 ft² |
How to convert
- Start with the area measured in acres.
- Multiply by 43,560, since a single acre equals exactly 43,560 square feet.
- The product is that same area written in square feet.
- Reverse the process by dividing a square-foot figure by 43,560 to recover acres.
- For a rough head count, treat one acre as roughly 44,000 square feet, then trim a little.
square feet = acres × 43,560
The acre is defined as 4,840 square yards, and each square yard holds 9 square feet, so an acre is 4,840 times 9, which is 43,560 square feet. Multiplying acres by that constant gives square feet; dividing reverses it.
- ac
- the area in acres you begin with
- 43,560
- square feet in one acre, by definition
Worked example
A 5-acre paddock comes to 5 times 43,560, which is 217,800 square feet. Half an acre, by the same logic, is 21,780 square feet, close to the footprint of a small supermarket.
Key facts
- One acre equals exactly 43,560 square feet.
- An acre is also 4,840 square yards or 1/640 of a square mile.
- A square mile (a section) packs 640 acres, hence 27,878,400 square feet.
- A quarter-acre building plot is 10,890 square feet.
Tips
- For quick sums, remember a tenth of an acre is 4,356 square feet.
- When dividing land into lots, work in square feet first, then convert the total back to acres at the end.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet are in 1 acre?+
Exactly 43,560 square feet. The number is fixed because the acre is defined from the square yard, with no rounding involved.
Where does 43,560 come from?+
An acre was historically a chain (66 ft) by a furlong (660 ft). Multiplying 66 by 660 gives 43,560 square feet.
How big is an acre in plain terms?+
Picture a square about 209 ft on each side, or a touch smaller than a standard football pitch including the surround.
Is a US acre the same as a UK acre?+
Yes. Both rest on the international yard fixed in 1959, so an acre is 43,560 square feet in either country.
Things to watch
- Acreage on old deeds may use the pre-1959 US survey foot; the difference is tiny but can matter on very large parcels.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-01-01
Conversions use internationally defined factors. Provided for general use; verify critical measurements independently.