What Is This Tool?
This tool converts area values from square miles based on the US survey system to hectares, a widely used metric unit. It supports land surveying, cadastral mapping, agriculture, forestry, and urban planning by simplifying unit translation between legacy US survey units and international metric units.
How to Use This Tool?
-
Enter the area value in square miles (US survey) you wish to convert
-
Select square mile (US survey) as the from unit and hectare [ha] as the to unit
-
Click the convert button to see the result in hectares
-
Use the output for land measurement, analysis, or record-keeping purposes
Key Features
-
Converts square mile (US survey) units to hectares [ha]
-
Based on official definitions and conversion rates
-
Supports accurate alignment of legacy US land survey records with metric units
-
Browser-based and easy-to-use interface
-
Helpful for land surveying, GIS, agriculture, forestry, and urban planning
Examples
-
2 square miles (US survey) = 517.999694064 hectares
-
0.5 square mile (US survey) = 129.499923516 hectares
Common Use Cases
-
Describing sections and townships in the U.S. Public Land Survey System
-
Recording legal property boundaries and historic cadastral maps
-
Converting legacy GIS and land-record data from US survey units to metric units
-
Measuring farm sizes and agricultural fields using hectares
-
Reporting forest area and land cover statistics
-
Urban planning and land registration involving metric parcel sizes
Tips & Best Practices
-
Verify that your source data is originally in US survey units before converting
-
Be mindful of minor differences between US survey and international feet
-
Use the tool to align older land records with current metric standards
-
Double-check converted values when used in legal or technical documents
-
Consider the context of land use when selecting units for reporting
Limitations
-
The US survey foot differs slightly from the international foot, causing minor conversion discrepancies
-
Hectares are metric units and may require careful usage in legal or technical contexts
-
Legacy data may lack metric standardization, requiring cautious conversion to prevent small errors
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What exactly is a square mile (US survey)?
-
It is an area unit based on the US survey mile, measuring land areas using the US survey foot, commonly used in US land surveying and cadastral records.
-
Why convert square miles (US survey) to hectares?
-
Conversion helps translate legacy US survey land data into metric units like hectares for easier comparison, reporting, and integration with modern systems.
-
Are there any accuracy concerns when converting?
-
Minor discrepancies may arise because the US survey foot differs slightly from the international foot, so careful use is advised especially in legal or technical documents.
Key Terminology
-
Square mile (US survey)
-
An area unit equal to a square with sides of one US survey mile, used in US land surveying and cadastral records.
-
Hectare [ha]
-
A metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, commonly used in land measurement and agriculture.
-
US survey foot
-
A unit of length based on the standardized survey foot used in US land measurement, slightly different from the international foot.