The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi
2)
[Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004)]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an
imperial and
US unit of measure for
area
Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...
. One square mile is equal to the area of a
square
In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...
with each side measuring a length of one
mile
The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...
.
Equivalents

One square mile is equal to:
*4,014,489,600
square inches
*
*
*
*
One square mile is also equivalent to:
*
*
*
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 ( × ) has an area of ; a rectangle of measuring × also has an area of , but is not 20 miles square.
Section
In the United States
Public Land Survey System, "square mile" is an informal synonym for
section.
References
Formula Conversion, Square miles to numerous area units with algebraic steps and unit cancellation shown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Square Mile
Units of area
Customary units of measurement in the United States
Imperial units