Unit-To-Unit Area conversion

Square Miles to Square Kilometres

1 square mile = 2.58998811 square kilometres

A square mile is 2.58999 km². Because area scales as the square, the 1.6 factor between miles and kilometres becomes 2.59 here, which is why city areas look so different in the two units.

Formula km² = mi² × 2.589988110336

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Type in either field — the other updates on every keystroke. Need other units? Open the full area converter.

Square Miles to Square Kilometres — quick reference
Square mileSquare kilometre
1 mi²2.589988 km²
2 mi²5.179976 km²
3 mi²7.769964 km²
4 mi²10.359952 km²
5 mi²12.949941 km²
10 mi²25.899881 km²
15 mi²38.849822 km²
20 mi²51.799762 km²
25 mi²64.749703 km²
50 mi²129.499406 km²
100 mi²258.998811 km²
500 mi²1294.994055 km²
1000 mi²2589.98811 km²
Square Kilometres to Square Miles — reverse
Square kilometreSquare mile
1 km²0.386102 mi²
2 km²0.772204 mi²
3 km²1.158306 mi²
4 km²1.544409 mi²
5 km²1.930511 mi²
10 km²3.861022 mi²
15 km²5.791532 mi²
20 km²7.722043 mi²
25 km²9.652554 mi²
50 km²19.305108 mi²
100 km²38.610216 mi²
500 km²193.051079 mi²
1000 km²386.102159 mi²

Worked examples

Common values
SituationFromTo
One square mile1 mi²2.59 km²
Manhattan22.8 mi²59.05 km²
Washington, D.C.68.3 mi²176.9 km²
Greater London607 mi²1,572 km²
Rhode Island1,545 mi²4,002 km²
Texas268,596 mi²695,660 km²

Mental-math shortcut

Multiply by 2.6. 10 mi² is about 26 km², against an exact 25.9.

Where this conversion comes up

Land areas of cities, parks and states are given in square miles in the US and square kilometres elsewhere. Greater London covers 607 mi², or about 1,572 km².

Common mistakes

A "3-mile square" is 9 square miles, but "3 square miles" is not a 3 by 3 square. Square the side before you convert.

Background

A square mile is 640 acres or 2.589988 km². US land survey sections are one square mile each.

Learn more

One square mile is 2.59 km² and contains 640 acres.

Related guides: Imperial vs metric: differences and quick conversion tricks

Frequently asked

How many square kilometres are in a square mile?
1 square mile = 2.58998811 square kilometres. In the other direction, 1 square kilometre = 0.386102159 square miles.
What is a square mile?
A square mile is 640 acres, or about 2.59 square kilometres. US county and city areas are usually given in square miles.
What is a square kilometre?
A square kilometre is 100 hectares, or about 0.386 square miles. National and regional areas are reported in square kilometres.
How many square kilometres is a square mile?
One square mile is 2.59 km².