Square Kilometers to Square Miles Converter (sq km to sq mi)
Convert square kilometers to square miles (sq km to sq mi) instantly. Learn the formula, see world country area comparisons, and understand how metric and US customary land area units relate.
AREA IN SQUARE MILES
3.861 miĀ²
ACRES
2,471 ac
HECTARES
1,000 ha
SQUARE METERS
10,000,000 mĀ²
FORMULA
10 Ć 0.3861
Square Kilometers to Square Miles ā Quick Reference
| kmĀ² | miĀ² | Acres | Approx. Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.01 kmĀ² | 0.0039 miĀ² | 2 ac | City block |
| 0.1 kmĀ² | 0.0386 miĀ² | 25 ac | Small park |
| 0.5 kmĀ² | 0.1931 miĀ² | 124 ac | Large park |
| 1 kmĀ² | 0.3861 miĀ² | 247 ac | Large park |
| 2.59 kmĀ² | 1 miĀ² | 640 ac | ā 1 square mile |
| 5 kmĀ² | 1.9305 miĀ² | 1,236 ac | Small town |
| 10 kmĀ² | 3.861 miĀ² | 2,471 ac | Small town |
| 50 kmĀ² | 19.3051 miĀ² | 12,355 ac | Small city |
| 100 kmĀ² | 38.6102 miĀ² | 24,711 ac | Small city |
| 500 kmĀ² | 193.051 miĀ² | 123,553 ac | Large city |
| 1,000 kmĀ² | 386.102 miĀ² | 247,105 ac | Large city |
| 5,000 kmĀ² | 1,930.51 miĀ² | 1,235,526 ac | US county |
| 10,000 kmĀ² | 3,861.02 miĀ² | 2,471,053 ac | Small US state |
| 20,000 kmĀ² | 7,722.04 miĀ² | 4,942,106 ac | Large region |
How to Convert Square Kilometers to Square Miles
To convert square kilometers to square miles, multiply the area by 0.386102:
Example: 100 kmĀ²
= 100 Ć 0.386102 = 38.61 sq mi
Example: France (643,801 kmĀ²)
= 643,801 Ć 0.386102 = 248,573 sq mi
The conversion factor 0.386102 is the reciprocal of 2.589988 (sq km per sq mi). Since 1 mile = 1.609344 km by international agreement, 1 miĀ² = 1.609344Ā² = 2.589988 kmĀ², so 1 kmĀ² = 1 Ć· 2.589988 = 0.386102 square miles.
Square Kilometers to Square Miles ā Conversion Table
| Square Kilometers | Square Miles | Acres | Approx. Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kmĀ² | 0.3861 miĀ² | 247 ac | Small town center |
| 2.59 kmĀ² | 1.000 miĀ² | 640 ac | Exactly 1 square mile |
| 10 kmĀ² | 3.861 miĀ² | 2,471 ac | Small city |
| 59 kmĀ² | 22.78 miĀ² | 14,580 ac | Manhattan, NYC |
| 177 kmĀ² | 68.34 miĀ² | 43,738 ac | Washington, D.C. |
| 784 kmĀ² | 302.7 miĀ² | 193,728 ac | New York City |
| 1,302 kmĀ² | 502.7 miĀ² | 321,728 ac | Los Angeles city limits |
| 3,144 kmĀ² | 1,214 miĀ² | 776,960 ac | Rhode Island |
| 9,834 kmĀ² | 3,797 miĀ² | 2,430,080 ac | Puerto Rico |
| 28,311 kmĀ² | 10,931 miĀ² | 6,996,000 ac | Massachusetts |
| 170,312 kmĀ² | 65,758 miĀ² | 42,085,120 ac | Florida |
| 695,662 kmĀ² | 268,596 miĀ² | 171,901,440 ac | Texas |
| 1,717,854 kmĀ² | 663,268 miĀ² | 424,491,520 ac | Alaska |
| 9,147,593 kmĀ² | 3,531,905 miĀ² | 2.26 billion ac | Entire United States |
What Is a Square Kilometer?
A square kilometer (symbol: kmĀ² or sq km) is a metric unit of area equal to the area of a square with sides of 1 kilometer (1,000 meters) in length. It is derived from the square meter, the SI base unit of area.
- 1 square kilometer = 0.386102 square miles
- 1 square kilometer = 100 hectares
- 1 square kilometer = 1,000,000 square meters
- 1 square kilometer = 247.105 acres
- In the metric system, "kilo" = 10Ā³, so 1 km = 1,000 m and 1 kmĀ² = 1,000,000 mĀ²
Square kilometers are the international standard for reporting large land areas. The United Nations, CIA World Factbook, World Bank, and virtually all international organizations report country and region areas in square kilometers.
What Is a Square Mile?
A square mile (symbol: miĀ² or sq mi) is a US customary and imperial unit of area equal to the area of a square with sides of 1 mile (5,280 feet or 1,760 yards) in length.
- 1 square mile = 2.589988 square kilometers
- 1 square mile = 640 acres
- 1 square mile = 27,878,400 square feet
- 1 square mile = 1 section in the US Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
Square miles are the standard unit for large land areas in the United States. Census data, state/county areas, city limits, and federal land surveys all use square miles.
World's Largest Countries ā Area in kmĀ² and sq mi
When Americans encounter international area data, it's almost always in square kilometers. Here are the world's 10 largest countries for quick reference:
| Country | Area (kmĀ²) | Area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 17,098,242 kmĀ² | 6,601,668 miĀ² |
| Canada | 9,984,670 kmĀ² | 3,855,100 miĀ² |
| United States | 9,833,520 kmĀ² | 3,796,742 miĀ² |
| China | 9,596,961 kmĀ² | 3,705,407 miĀ² |
| Brazil | 8,515,767 kmĀ² | 3,287,957 miĀ² |
| Australia | 7,692,024 kmĀ² | 2,969,907 miĀ² |
| India | 3,287,263 kmĀ² | 1,269,219 miĀ² |
| Argentina | 2,780,400 kmĀ² | 1,073,518 miĀ² |
| Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 kmĀ² | 1,052,090 miĀ² |
| Algeria | 2,381,741 kmĀ² | 919,595 miĀ² |
When Americans Need to Convert kmĀ² to Square Miles
- Reading international news ā "The Amazon lost 10,000 kmĀ² of forest" means 3,861 sq mi ā roughly the size of Connecticut. Converting helps Americans grasp the scale.
- Wikipedia and encyclopedias ā Country and city articles use kmĀ² first. An American reading "Tokyo: 2,194 kmĀ²" needs to know that's 847 sq mi to compare with their home city.
- Scientific and environmental reports ā Climate studies, deforestation data, and UN reports are all in kmĀ². A researcher at a US university needs sq mi for local context.
- International travel planning ā Guidebooks describe countries and national parks in kmĀ². Knowing Iceland (103,000 kmĀ²) = 39,769 sq mi ā Virginia helps plan itineraries.
- Business and real estate ā International development projects, mining concessions, and agricultural holdings outside the US are measured in kmĀ² or hectares.
- Geography education ā US students learn area in square miles but encounter kmĀ² in international comparisons, atlases, and standardized tests.
Related Area Units
| Unit | In Square Kilometers | In Square Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 square meter | 0.000001 kmĀ² | 3.861 Ć 10ā»ā· miĀ² |
| 1 hectare | 0.01 kmĀ² | 0.003861 miĀ² |
| 1 acre | 0.00405 kmĀ² | 0.0015625 miĀ² |
| 1 square kilometer | 1 kmĀ² | 0.386102 miĀ² |
| 1 square mile | 2.589988 kmĀ² | 1 miĀ² |
| 1 township (PLSS) | 93.24 kmĀ² | 36 miĀ² |