Square kilometre

Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:

• 1,000,000 m²
• 100 ha (hectare)

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Don't let static charges disrupt your weighing accuracy

Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

Conversely:

• 1 m² = 0.000 001 (10^-6) km²
• 1 hectare = 0.01 (10^-2) km²
• 1 square mile = 2.589 988 km²
• 1 acre = 0.004 047 km², 40.47 ha or 4047 m²

Note: "km²" means (km)², square kilometre or kilometre squared, and not k(m²), kilo–square metre. For example, 3 km² is equal to 3 * (1,000 m)² = 3,000,000 m², not 3,000 m².

Comparative order

The 10⁶ m² orders of magnitude page gives comparisons with geographic areas.

A hectare (10⁴ m²) is less than a square kilometre which is less than a square megametre (10¹² m²).

Source

• Conversion Factors. MINFILE Coding Manual. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.

See also