Square mile: Difference between revisions

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{{redirect|Mile square|other uses|Mile square (disambiguation)|and|Square mile (disambiguation)}}

A '''square mile''' (symbol <b>mi&sup2;</b>) is an [[imperial unit]] which is the [[surface area|area]] of a [[square]] whose side is one [[mile]] (or 5,280 [[foot|feet]]). It is equal to 640 [[acre]]s, or 2.589988 square kilometers ([[square kilometer|km²]]).

{{Short description|Unit of area}}

{{Infobox unit

| name = square mile

| image = Indy farmland.jpg

| caption = An [[aerial photography|aerial photograph]] of farmland in [[Indiana]], with each small square being one square mile. (see [[Section (United States land surveying)]])

| standard = Imperial, United States customary units

| quantity = [[area]]

| symbol = mi²

| symbol2 = sq mi

| units1 = [[Imperial units|Imperial]]/[[US customary|US]]

| inunits1 = {{ubl|{{val|4.0145|e=9|u=sq in}}|{{val|2.7878|e=7|u=ft2}}|{{val|3.0976|e=6|u=yd2}}||{{val|640|u=acres}}}}

| units2 = [[SI units]]

| inunits2 = {{ubl|{{val|2.59|e=6|u=m2}}|{{val|2.59|u=km2}}}}

}}<!-- square mile -->

The '''square mile''' (abbreviated as '''sq&nbsp;mi''' and sometimes as '''mi²''')<ref name="RussRowlett">Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004). [http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictS.html "S", ''How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement'']. [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]. Retrieved February 22, 2012.</ref> is an [[Imperial system|imperial]] and [[US customary system|US unit]] of measure for [[area]]. One square mile is equal to the area of a [[square (geometry)|square]] with each side measuring a length of one [[mile]].<ref Name="Davies">{{cite book

In [[England]], '''the Square Mile''' is a traditional name for the [[City of London]].

|title= Mathematical dictionary and cyclopedia of mathematical science

|last= Davies

|first= Charles

|year= 1872

|publisher= A.S. Barnes and co

|___location= Original from Harvard University

|page= [https://archive.org/details/mathematicaldic00unkngoog/page/n586 582]

|url= https://archive.org/details/mathematicaldic00unkngoog }}</ref>

== Equivalents ==

''See also'': [[Conversion of units]]

[[File:Comparison of units of area.png|thumb|Various units of area, with square mile being represented as a yellow square]]

One square mile is equal to:

*4,014,489,600 [[Square inch|square inches]]<ref name="Cardarelli20032">{{cite book|author=François Cardarelli|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofs0000card|title=Encyclopaedia of scientific units, weights, and measures: their SI equivalences and origins|publisher=Springer|year=2003|isbn=978-1-85233-682-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofs0000card/page/3 3]|access-date=22 February 2012|url-access=registration}}</ref>

*{{Convert|1|mi2|ft2|0|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

*{{Convert|1|mi2|yd2|0|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

*{{Convert|1|mi2|rood|0|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

*{{Convert|1|mi2|acre|0|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

One square mile is also equivalent to:

*{{Convert|1|mi2|m2|99|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

*{{Convert|1|mi2|ha|99|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

*{{Convert|1|mi2|km2|99|abbr=off|lk=out|disp=out}}

== Similarly named units ==

=== Miles square ===

Square miles should not be confused with miles square, a square region with each side having a length of the value given. For example, a region which is 20 miles square ({{Val|20|u=miles}} × {{Val|20|u=miles}}) has an area of {{Val|400|u=mi2}}; a rectangle of measuring {{Val|10|u=miles}} × {{Val|40|u=miles}} also has an area of {{Val|400|u=mi2}}, but is not 20 miles square.

=== Section ===

In the United States [[Public Land Survey System]], "square mile" is an informal synonym for [[Section (United States land surveying)|section]].

==References==

{{Reflist}}

* [http://www.formulaconversion.com/formulaconversioncalculator.php?convert=squaremiles_to_acres Formula Conversion, Square miles to numerous area units with algebraic steps and unit cancellation shown]

{{Imperial units}}

{{United States Customary Units}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Square Mile}}

[[Category:Units of area]]

[[Category:Customary units of measurement in the United States]]

[[Category:Imperial units]]