The conversion
Acres = square feet ÷ 43,560
Square feet = acres × 43,560
The number 43,560 goes back to old land surveying: an acre was a strip one furlong (660 ft) long and one chain (66 ft) wide, and 660 × 66 = 43,560.
Square feet to acres chart
| Square feet | Acres |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | 0.0230 |
| 2,500 | 0.0574 |
| 5,000 | 0.1148 |
| 7,500 | 0.1722 |
| 10,000 | 0.2296 |
| 15,000 | 0.3444 |
| 20,000 | 0.4591 |
| 25,000 | 0.5739 |
| 30,000 | 0.6887 |
| 40,000 | 0.9183 |
| 50,000 | 1.1478 |
| 100,000 | 2.2957 |
Acres to square feet chart
| Acres | Square feet | As a square, about |
|---|---|---|
| 1/10 | 4,356 | 66 × 66 ft |
| 1/8 | 5,445 | 74 × 74 ft |
| 1/5 | 8,712 | 93 × 93 ft |
| 1/4 | 10,890 | 104 × 104 ft |
| 1/3 | 14,520 | 120 × 120 ft |
| 1/2 | 21,780 | 148 × 148 ft |
| 3/4 | 32,670 | 181 × 181 ft |
| 1 | 43,560 | 209 × 209 ft |
| 2 | 87,120 | 295 × 295 ft |
| 5 | 217,800 | 467 × 467 ft |
Other units
| 1 acre equals | |
|---|---|
| Square feet | 43,560 |
| Square yards | 4,840 |
| Square meters | about 4,046.9 |
| Hectares | about 0.4047 |
| Thousands of sq ft (for lawn rates) | 43.56 |
One square foot is about 0.0929 square meters, and one hectare is about 2.471 acres.
From lot size to lawn size
Property listings give the size of the lot. For sod, seed or fertilizer you need the size of the grass, which is often much less. A worked example:
- Lot: 0.3 acres = 0.3 × 43,560 = 13,068 sq ft
- House footprint: 1,900 sq ft
- Driveway and walks: 1,100 sq ft
- Beds, patio, shed: 1,600 sq ft
- Woods along the back: 2,500 sq ft
- Lawn: 13,068 − 7,100 = 5,968 sq ft, or 0.137 acres
Ordering seed or fertilizer for the full 0.3 acres would buy more than twice what the lawn needs. Measure the grass with the lawn area calculator, then use the result in the sod calculator or grass seed calculator.
Using acres for seed and fertilizer
Lawn product rates are usually per 1,000 sq ft. To scale up to acres, multiply by 43.56:
- Seed at 7 lb per 1,000 sq ft = 305 lb per acre (see grass seed per acre)
- Nitrogen at 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft = 43.56 lb of nitrogen per acre (see the fertilizer calculator)
Conversions are exact to the digits shown. For property boundaries and legal descriptions, rely on your deed or a professional survey rather than a calculator.
Questions people ask
- How do I convert square feet to acres?
- Divide the square feet by 43,560. For example, 10,000 sq ft ÷ 43,560 = 0.23 acres.
- How do I convert acres to square feet?
- Multiply the acres by 43,560. Half an acre is 0.5 × 43,560 = 21,780 sq ft.
- How many square feet are in a quarter acre?
- 10,890 square feet, about the area of a square 104 ft on each side.
- How big is an acre in feet?
- An acre has no fixed shape. As a square it is about 208.7 × 208.7 ft; as a rectangle it could be 435.6 × 100 ft or 660 × 66 ft. Any shape with 43,560 sq ft of area is one acre.
- Is my lawn the same size as my lot?
- No. The lot includes the house, driveway, walks, beds and any woods. Measure the grass itself with the lawn area calculator before buying sod, seed or fertilizer.