The exact equivalent
A hectare is exactly 10,000 square metres: a square 100 metres on each side. It is not an SI unit, but it is accepted for use with SI.
1 ha = 10,000 m²
1 m² = 0.0001 ha
How to convert it by hand
Just multiply by the conversion factor. To go from hectares to square metres, multiply by 10,000; to come back, divide by that same number or multiply by 0.0001.
For example: 25 ha × 10,000 = 250,000 m².
A tip that saves mistakes: check the result goes the way you expect. If square metres are a smaller unit than hectares, the number has to come out bigger. If it comes out smaller, you divided when you should have multiplied.
Conversion table
| ha | m² |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 20,000 |
| 5 | 50,000 |
| 10 | 100,000 |
| 20 | 200,000 |
| 50 | 500,000 |
| 100 | 1,000,000 |
Reference points to picture it
| Reference | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 hectare | 10,000 m² |
| A football pitch | 0.71 ha = 7,140 m² |
| A small farm | 5 ha = 50,000 m² |
| A city block | 1.5 ha = 15,000 m² |
The trick for doing it in your head
Move the decimal point four places right. For 2.5 ha: 25,000 m².
It is fine for getting by without a phone, but not for anything that depends on precision: in a recipe, on a building site or in a dose, use the exact conversion.