Convert Square Mile (mi²) to Section (section) instantly.
About these units
Square Mile (mi²)
A square mile equals 640 acres or about 2.58999 km². It is the primary unit for describing large areas in the United States and the UK, particularly in geography and land-use planning. City sizes, county boundaries, national park dimensions, and lake surfaces are often expressed in square miles. Because of its large scale, it is ideal for measuring political subdivisions, conservation zones, and territorial claims. The square mile also appears in demographic statistics—such as population density—and in historical surveys of American frontiers, where square-mile sections formed the backbone of land distribution policies.
Section (section)
A section is a unit of area equal to one square mile, or 640 acres, derived from the PLSS township system. Each township contains 36 sections arranged in a 6-by-6 grid. Sections were historically granted to settlers, railroads, and states for development, education funding, and agricultural expansion. Because a section is large but manageable, it provided a logical unit for dividing land among homesteaders. Even today, the section persists as a foundation of rural property boundaries. Many farms, ranches, and municipal boundaries reference section lines, reflecting how 19th-century surveying still shapes 21st-century land use.