Convert square miles to square kilometers

Explanation

From this page you can convert square miles to square kilometers (or sq mi to km²) simply, by using the application above.

In case you are wondering, to convert from square miles to square kilometers you need to multiply by 2.59. This factor is calculated using the respective definitions of the two units you can find below.

Formula

1 sq mi≈2.59 km²

square milessq mi

dimension	area
symbol	sq mi, mi²
search alias	mi2, sqmi

The square mile (sq mi, mi²) is a derived unit of area in the international mass and length units.

Definition of the square mile

One square mile is the superficial area equivalent to that of a square each side of which measures one mile.

Value

One square mile is equal to 640 imperial acres.

From the Weights and Measures Act of 1985: PART VI: Measurement of area

Value in terms of the SI

One square mile is equivalent to 2.589988110336 square kilometers.

Equivalences

One square mile is also equivalent to:

Some Facts

The mean home range of an adult snow leopard in the Gobi desert can go up to 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) for a male and 64 square miles (166 square kilometers) for a female.
The Manhattan borough is the smallest of the five boroughs of New York City with a land area of 22.7 square miles (59 square kilometers).

International area units

square inch	sq in
square foot	sq ft	144 square inches
square yard	sq yd	9 square feet
square mile	sq mi	3 097 600 square yards

The International Mass and Length Units

The International Mass and Length Units are units based on the international yard and the international pound.

They were created in 1959 when Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America agreed upon a common definition of the yard and the pound.

square kilometerskm²

dimension	area
system	International system of units (SI)
symbol	km², sq km

The square kilometer (km², sq km) is a derived area unit in the International System of Units.

Definition of the square kilometer

One square kilometer is a superficial area equivalent to that of a square whose sides are one kilometer long.

Equivalences

One square kilometer is equivalent to:

Some Facts

The surface of the Earth is roughly 510000000 square kilometers.

SI Area Units

square millimeter	mm²	0.000001
square centimeter	cm²	0.0001
square meter	m²	1
square kilometer	km²	1000000

The International System of Units

The International System of Units or SI (from the French Système international (d'unité)), also called metric system in the U.S., is a coherent system of units that was published 1960. It is official in nearly every country.

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence générale des poids et mesures) is tasked with overseeing the SI.