Acre Calculator

How big is an acre?

One acre = 43,560 square feet = 4,046.86 m² = 0.4047 hectares — about 76% of an American football field including end zones.

An acre has no required shape; it is simply an area. Laid out as a square it measures about 208.7 feet on each side. And 640 acres = 1 square mile (a survey “section”).

The map above draws that area to true scale wherever you place it, so you can compare an acre against a block, a parking lot, or a field you already know. See the acre glossary entry for the definition, or the use cases for where this comes in handy.

How to visualize acres on the map

1

Find a place

Search an address or tap the map

2

Set the size

Type a value; pick acres, ha, ft² or m²

3

Pick a shape

Square or circle overlay

4

Drag to compare

Line it up against a known landmark

5

Share it

Copy a link that restores the view

What an acre compares to

≈ 76%

of an American football field, including both end zones (a field is 57,600 sq ft ≈ 1.32 acres).

≈ 15½

doubles tennis courts (each 78 × 36 ft = 2,808 sq ft) fit inside one acre.

640

acres make one square mile — the survey “section” that divides much of US farmland.

AcresSquare feetSquare metersHectares≈ Football fields
0.2510,8901,0120.1010.19
143,5604,0470.4050.76
5217,80020,2342.023.78
10435,60040,4694.057.56
401,742,400161,87416.1930.25
1004,356,000404,68640.4775.6
64027,878,4002,589,990259484

Football-field comparisons use a full field including end zones (360 × 160 ft = 57,600 sq ft). Figures are rounded from 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft = 4,046.86 m² = 0.4047 hectares.

Square or circle — the area is the same

An acre is a measure of area, not a shape, so the overlay can be drawn either way and still cover the same 43,560 square feet:

Square

A one-acre square is about 208.7 ft on each side. Squares line up naturally with parcels, city blocks, and the section grid, so they are easy to compare against property lines.

Circle

A one-acre circle has a radius of about 117.75 ft (117.75² × π ≈ 43,560 sq ft). Circles are handy for “how far from this point” framing, like a setback or a buffer around a building.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is 1 acre?
One acre is 43,560 square feet — 4,046.86 m², or 0.4047 hectares. As a square that is about 208.7 feet on each side, and it covers roughly 76% of an American football field including the end zones.
What does 5 acres look like?
5 acres is 217,800 square feet — a square about 467 feet on each side, or close to 3.8 American football fields laid side by side.
How big is 10 acres?
10 acres is 435,600 square feet — a square roughly 660 feet on each side (an eighth of a mile), about 7.6 football fields.
How many acres are in a square mile?
There are 640 acres in one square mile — a block surveyors call a "section." The classic 40-acre "back forty" is one sixteenth of a section: a quarter-mile square.
How many acres is a football field?
An American football field including both end zones is 360 by 160 feet — 57,600 square feet, or about 1.32 acres. So a single acre covers roughly three-quarters of the field.
How do I measure acres on a map with this tool?
Search an address or tap the map to drop a true-scale overlay, then set the size in acres, hectares, square feet, or square metres. Switch the overlay between a square and a circle, drag it to line it up against a landmark you know, and copy a link to share the exact view.