Square mile to Square kilometer

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Result

2.59

km²

Conversion rate: 1 mi² = 2.59 km²

Showing up to 4 decimal

How it works

The converter uses exact SI-based factors (e.g., 1 foot = 0.3048 meters, 1 inch = 0.0254 meters).

Formula: square kilometers = square mile × 2.59

Results show between 0 and 8 decimal places and hide trailing zeros for readability.

Conversion Table

Square mile Square kilometer
0.01 mi² 0.0259 km²
0.1 mi² 0.259 km²
1 mi² 2.59 km²
10 mi² 25.8999 km²
100 mi² 258.9988 km²
1000 mi² 2589.9881 km²

History

Square Mile (mi²)

The square mile, or mi², is the area of a square one mile on each side, or 640 acres. Its history dates back to the mile, which originated in Roman times. The square mile became a set measurement in England. It is still widely used in the US and the UK for large areas, such as cities, counties, and parks. Most countries use square kilometers, but in English-speaking regions, the square mile remains common, especially in historical and legal contexts.

Square Kilometer (km²)

The square kilometer, or km², is equal to one million square meters. It was designed for measuring large areas when the metric system was introduced. Square kilometers are often used in geography, maps, and environmental studies to represent the size of places such as cities, forests, and countries. For example, a country’s size is typically measured in square kilometers (km²). Its ease of use and simple conversions make it important for sharing global information.

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