How Big is an Acre?

An acre is a standard unit for measuring land area, commonly used in real estate. One acre equals 43,560 square feet or approximately 4,046.86 square meters.

Whether you’re buying a home, planning for a garden, or trying to imagine how large an acre is, we’ll give you some visual representation and equivalent measurements.

What Does an Acre of Land Look Like Visually?

Imagine a football field without the end zones – that’s the size of an acre. Other visualizations of an acre include: 9.25 NBA basketball courts, about 60% of a FIFA soccer field, a 200×200 square foot piece of land, and about 1,034 king-size mattresses laid next to each other. Here is a comparison of an acre to other measurements.

An acre is a unit used in the British Imperial and United States Customary systems. Originally, it referred to an area of 66 feet by 660 feet, also known as one chain by one furlong. This measurement represented the amount of land that could be plowed in a single day by a man with a team of oxen. While the formal definition is precise, it is important to note that the acre’s historical origins are rooted in practical farming practices.

Today, the acre continues to be a widely accepted unit for land assessment, symbolizing the fusion of historical agricultural practices and standardized measurements.

Here is a comparison of the acre to other measurements:

– An acre is equal to 43,560 square feet.

– One acre is equivalent to 0.404686 hectares.

– A square mile consists of 640 acres.

– There are 247.105 square kilometers in an acre.

– One acre measures 4,046.86 square meters.

Landmarks Ranked by Size

• Statue of Liberty Island: The statue stands on a 12-acre island.
• Dubai Miracle Garden: Floral attraction on 17.8 acres.
• Sydney Opera House: Iconic structure on 5.8 acres.
• White House Grounds: The presidential residence covers 18 acres.
• Louvre Museum, Paris: Museum courtyard extends over 22.5 acres.
• National Mall, D.C.: Historic park and monument area totaling 146 acres.
• Hyde Park, London: Urban park spanning 350 acres.
• Disneyland Resort, CA: Amusement park complex covering 500 acres.

Vatican City: Independent city-state spanning about 110 acres. Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne: Botanical gardens covering 94 acres. Central Park, NYC: 843 acres of urban greenery. Versailles Gardens, France: Palatial gardens encompass 1,976 acres.

How to Measure an Acre

If you have a square or rectangular piece of land, measure the length and width in feet and multiply those numbers to determine the square footage. Then, divide the square footage by 43,560 to calculate the equivalent amount of acres.

For example, if your land measures 70 ft x 250 ft, your calculations would be:

• 70 x 250 = 17,500 square feet
• 17,500 ÷ 43,560 = .4017 acres

The most accurate way to determine acreage is through professional land surveyors or digital mapping software. Digital mapping is the most precise way to determine the acreage of irregular lots.

The latest US Census Bureau study from 2020 reveals that the national average lot size for new homes is 13,896 square feet, equal to .32 acres. Vermont has the biggest lot size at 78,408 square feet, equivalent to 1.8 acres. Nevada has the smallest lot size at 7,405 square feet or .17 acres.

Lot size in the United States has decreased over the last 45 years. In 1978, the national average lot size was 18,760 square feet – the equivalent of .43 acres.

Average Price of an Acre in the United States.

The average price of an acre in the United States is $17,482 in 2023. Wyoming has the lowest acre cost at $5,684, while Rhode Island is the most expensive state with acre prices exceeding $93,000.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What’s a commercial acre?

A commercial acre is smaller than a residential acre, measuring 36,000 square feet compared to 43,560 square feet for a residential acre. This size difference accounts for structures that business owners cannot modify, such as sidewalks and alleyways.

What’s the size of an acre?

An acre can have various lengths and widths, as long as the total area is 43,560 square feet. A perfect square acre is 208.71 feet long and 208.71 feet wide. However, an acre can also be rectangular, triangular, or have irregular shapes.

How large is a quarter of an acre?

A quarter acre is equivalent to 10,890 square feet. To create a perfect square quarter acre, the dimensions would be approximately 104 feet wide and 104 feet long.

Half an acre encompasses 21,780 square feet, which can be visualized as half of a football field, excluding the end zones.