How many acres are contained in one square mile?

One square mile is equivalent to 640 acres. This measurement is derived from the fact that a mile is 5,280 feet, so when calculating the area of a square mile, you take the length of one side (1 mile) and multiply it by itself (1 mile x 1 mile).

To convert miles to feet:

1 mile = 5,280 feet.

When you calculate the area:

Area = 5,280 feet x 5,280 feet = 27,878,400 square feet.

Next, you convert square feet to acres, knowing that:

1 acre = 43,560 square feet.

Thereby, to find the number of acres in one square mile, you divide the total square feet by the square feet per acre:

27,878,400 square feet ÷ 43,560 square feet per acre = 640 acres.

This conversion confirms that there are 640 acres in a square mile.