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We are trying to find feet measurement for an acre-not the square footage. Can you
please help? Because an acre is a measure of area, not length, it is defined in square feet. An acre can be of any shape-a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, or even a star-so long as its area is exactly 43,560 square feet. The most standard shape for an acre is one furlong by one chain, or 660 feet by 66 feet. To find the linear measurements of other rectangular acres, just divide
43,560 by the number of feet you want on one side. A square-shaped acre would then be about 208.7 by 208.7 feet (because 208.7 x 208.7 = ~43,560). An acre 100 feet wide would be 435.6 feet long (100 x 435.6 = 43,560) and an acre 1 foot wide would be 43,560 feet long. The acre, by the way, was originally an English unit of measurement that described the area that a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. It originally
differed in size from one area to the next, but was ultimately fixed at 4,840 square yards, or 160 square chains (its current size). -The Fact MonsterThe Question:
The Answer:
- An Acre
What is the size of an acre?
The acre was originally an English unit of measurement that described the area of land that a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. It originally differed in size from one area to the next. In the 1900s it was fixed at 4,840 square yards (or 4,047 square meters). It is still used today to describe plots of land. Because an acre is a unit of area, rather than length, it would be incorrect to say "square acre" the way one might say "square mile".
In comparison to other traditional measurements, there are two and a half acres in a hectare. Or, in terms of miles, there are 640 acres in a square mile.
Does it have to be a rectangle?
The original definition of an acre was a furlong by a chain, a definition used by surveyors to measure plots. However, the area one derives from that measurement is an acre, even if it's contained within a different shape. 1 furlong is equal to 10 chains, or 660 feet. If you do the math, this means an acre is 10 square chains, or 43,560 square feet.
Because an acre is a unit of area, not length, it is defined in square feet. An acre plot can be of any shape-a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, or even a star-so long as its area is exactly 43,560 square feet.
To find the linear measurements of other rectangular acres, just divide 43,560 by the number of feet you want on one side. A square-shaped acre would then be about 208.7 by 208.7 feet (because 208.7 x 208.7 = ~43,560). An acre 100 feet wide would be 435.6 feet long (100 x 435.6 = 43,560) and an acre 1 foot wide would be 43,560 feet long.
How many acres is a football field?
An acre of land is often compared to a football field (that is to say, an American football field, not a football pitch). In reality, an acre equals about 76% of a football field, when you consider both end zones.
An NFL football field (including the two end zones) is 360 feet long and 160 feet wide for a total of 57,600 square feet. When you take away the two 30-foot-long end zones at each end, the field is 48,000 square feet, making an acre about 91% of the field.
If you are interested in more information check out our table of Standard Measurements in Sports.
- Miscellaneous Units of Measure
| Last update: 12 June 2022
An acre is a unit of area commonly used for measuring land in the United States and United Kingdom. One acre measures 43,560 square feet. An acre can can be measured in any shape, from rectangles to circles, or even hexagons, and it can have any length and width so long as the total area of land is 43,560 square feet.
Did you know?
During the Middle Ages, an acre was defined as the amount of land ploughable in one day by one man and an ox? Not very specific, then - especially if your ox is feeling particularly lethargic. Thankfully, these days the acre unit is more clearly defined.
Ox at the ready, let's take a look at the task at hand. Perhaps you're considering purchasing a new property attached to several acres of land and you're trying to visualise how big it is? Or, maybe you're studying for an exam and want to know how to convert between acres and square feet, square meters or hectares? Well, look no further. Let's start with the facts...
- Article sections
- What size is an acre?
- How big is an acre of land visually?
- How many acres are in a square mile?
- What is a commercial acre?
- Acres conversion calculator
- How many acres?
What size is an acre?
An acre can be measured in any shape, from rectangles to circles, or even hexagons. It can have any length and width so long as the total area of land is 43,560 square feet.
- 1 acre = 43,560 square feet
- 1 acre = 4046.86 square meters
- 1 acre = 4840 square yards
- 1 acre = 0.404686 hectares
- 1 acre = 1/640th of a square mile
As an example, your land could have a length of 208 feet and a width of 209 feet, giving a total area of 43,472 square feet, which would be just under 1 acre. The most common shape for an acre is 1 furlong by 1 chain, or 660 feet by 66 feet.
How big is an acre of land visually?
If you're struggling to visualize how big an acre (43,560 square feet) is, try picturing 60% of a soccer pitch, 75% of an American football field or 16 tennis courts in a 4x4 formation. If that doesn't help, think of a car park containing 150 cars parked in a square.
Football pitch measurements (acres and square feet)
- A soccer pitch commonly measures between 69,000 and 86,000 square feet (1.6 - 1.9 acres) (FIFA)
- An American football field commonly measures around 57,564 square feet (1.32 acres)
Anyone for tennis?
How many acres are in a square mile?
One square mile is equal to 640 acres. To calculate how many acres there are in your area of land, simply multiply your square mile figure by 640.
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What is a commercial acre?
A visitor recently asked the question 'Why is a commercial acre different to a residential acre?' The commercial acre was invented by US real estate agencies for use in large cities and is a legal unit in some US states. It is said to be a standard acre unit with a deduction for alleyways, roads and sidewalks. The commercial acre is 82.6 percent of an international acre and you'll notice it's a rounded figure, for ease of calculation.
- 1 commercial acre = 36,000 square feet
- 1 commercial acre = 4000 square yards
- 1 commercial acre = 3342.8 square meters
U.S. land surveys
When surveying land in the United States, the primary, modern definition of an acre is 1/640th of a square mile. That is to say, there are 640 acres in a square mile or a "section".
Generally, for survey purposes, there are 36 sections in a township. A township is measured as a square with 6 miles on a side and a section is measured as a square with one mile on a side.
Of course, if you want an exact measurement conversion for land acreage then this handy conversion tool will help you...
Acres conversion calculator
If you want to convert between other units of area, take a look at our area converter.
Before we finish this article, here are some interesting acre facts for you to ponder on:
How many acres?
- The Amazon Rainforest measures approximately 1,359,079,598 acres. (2,123,561 square miles), but is decreasing at an ever-quickening rate.
- It has been reported that 2 acres of the Amazon Rainforest are being cleared every minute, to make way for farming land.
- According to the United States Census, the total area of New York City measures approximately 300,000 acres (468.9 square miles), although that figure includes water. By comparison, the area of Greater London measures approximately 388,000 acres (606.95 square miles).
- The gardens at Buckingham Palace measure 40 acres and include a helicopter landing pad.
- It has been estimated that the surface area of the moon measures approximately 9,383,748,198 acres (14,657,415 square miles). (source: Space Settlement Institute)
- A single acre of wheat can be enough to produce around 3,000 loaves of bread (if baked properly)
- Approximately 100 acres of pizza are consumed in the United States every day. 3 billion pizzas are sold each year (350 slices every second). (ref)
Check out this guide that breaks down how much an acre costs, as land value and quality will vary based on location.
Questions or comments? Join in the discussion below. Alternatively, read our next article in which we look at how big a hectare is.
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