How to Calculate Acreage
To find the acreage of a rectangular plot, multiply the length by the width to get the area in square feet, then divide by 43,560 (the number of square feet in an acre).
Formula
Acres = (Length in ft × Width in ft) ÷ 43,560
Example: A plot 330 ft × 264 ft = 87,120 sq ft ÷ 43,560 = 2.0 acres.
Common Lot Sizes in Acres
| Dimensions (ft) | Square Feet | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 50 × 100 | 5,000 | 0.115 |
| 100 × 100 | 10,000 | 0.230 |
| 100 × 200 | 20,000 | 0.459 |
| 150 × 200 | 30,000 | 0.689 |
| 208.7 × 208.7 | 43,560 | 1.000 |
| 330 × 264 | 87,120 | 2.000 |
| 660 × 330 | 217,800 | 5.000 |
| 660 × 660 | 435,600 | 10.000 |
Acre Size Comparisons
| Comparison | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 acre | About 16 tennis courts |
| 1 acre | About 75% of a football field |
| 1 acre | About 60% of a soccer field |
| 1 acre | About 9 basketball courts |
| 1 acre | About 1.5 city blocks (varies) |
Area Unit Conversions
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft |
| 1 acre | 4,840 sq yd |
| 1 acre | 4,046.86 sq m |
| 1 acre | 0.4047 hectares |
| 1 acre | 0.001563 sq mi |
| 1 sq mi | 640 acres |
| 1 hectare | 2.471 acres |
Common Uses
- Real estate: Determine lot size for buying or selling land.
- Agriculture: Calculate field size for planting, fertilizing, and yield estimates.
- Landscaping: Estimate material quantities for large properties.
- Property taxes: Verify lot size against assessor records.
- Zoning: Check if lot size meets minimum acreage requirements.
- Fencing: Calculate perimeter to estimate fencing costs.
Tips for Measuring Land
- For irregularly shaped lots, break the area into rectangles and triangles, calculate each, and add them together.
- Use a survey or plat map for the most accurate dimensions — pacing or GPS may have significant error.
- County assessor websites often list lot size in their property records.
- One chain (66 ft) × one furlong (660 ft) = exactly 1 acre — the original definition.