A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres.
Sections to Hectares Converter — section to ha
Convert Section (section) to Hectare (ha) using the exact conversion factor (1 section = 258.998811 hectare). See the formula, worked examples, conversion table, history, and common uses.
Sections to Hectares converter
Converter
Area Converter
Convert land, construction, mapping, survey, and scientific area units.
Context values
Some unit families need one extra value for a physically accurate result.
A hectare is 10,000 square meters.
Result = input x 2.58998811e+6 / 10000.
Area uses the square meter as the base unit.
Reserved above the conversion cards and below the converter.
About Converting Sections to Hectares
Comparing Section and Hectare is common in agriculture and real estate, where US land is typically measured in acres and most of the rest of the world uses hectares. Specifically: A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres, and a hectare is 10,000 square meters.
Formula
hectares = sections × 258.998811034
This factor comes from each unit's defined relationship to the category's base unit: 1 section equals 2589988.11034 base units, and 1 hectare equals 10000 base units, so dividing one by the other gives the direct section-to-hectare factor of 258.998811034.
Simple example
1 section × 258.998811 = 258.998811 ha
1 section = 258.998811 hectares.
Real-world example
10 section × 258.998811 = 2,589.98811 ha
10 sections = 2,589.98811 hectares.
Conversion table
| Section (section) | Hectare (ha) |
|---|---|
| 1 section | 258.998811 ha |
| 5 section | 1,294.994055 ha |
| 10 section | 2,589.98811 ha |
| 25 section | 6,474.970276 ha |
| 50 section | 12,949.94055 ha |
| 100 section | 25,899.8811 ha |
Reverse conversion: Hectare to Section
258.998811 ha × 0.003861021585 = 0.9999999999 section
258.998811 hectares = 0.9999999999 sections.
sections = hectares × 0.00386102158542
For a page dedicated to this direction, see Hectare to Section.
Understanding the Section (section)
A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres.
Understanding the Hectare
Hectare (ha) measures area. A hectare is exactly 10,000 square meters — the area of a 100 m × 100 m square. It is classified as a non-SI metric unit accepted for use with SI.
Where it's used: Used worldwide, especially in agriculture, forestry, and land statistics outside the US
Uses of the Hectare today
- Reporting farmland and crop area in international agricultural statistics
- Forestry and land-use planning
- Real estate and cadastral survey in metric countries
History of the Hectare
The hectare derives from the 'are,' a metric area unit (100 m²) introduced during the French Revolutionary metric reforms of the 1790s. 'Hecto-' is simply the SI prefix for 100, so a hectare is 100 ares.
Although not itself an SI unit, the hectare is officially accepted for use alongside SI units by the BIPM because of its practical importance in land measurement, and it remains the standard land-area unit in most of the world.
Historical origin. Hectare was not the invention of a single named person; it developed through the process described above.
Hectare — sources
- BIPM SI Brochure, 9th edition — Non-SI units accepted for use with SI — Lists the hectare as an accepted non-SI unit.
Reserved between the cards and the FAQ so the page stays balanced.
Frequently asked questions
How many hectares are in 1 section?
1 section equals 258.998811 hectares, using the exact defined conversion factor rather than an estimate.
How do I convert section to hectare?
Multiply the section value by 258.998811. The converter above does this instantly to whatever precision you set.
How do I convert hectare back to section?
Use the reverse factor: 1 hectare equals 0.0038610216 sections. You can also use the swap control in the converter above to flip the direction instantly.
What is a section?
Section (section) is a unit of area.
What is a hectare?
Hectare (ha) measures area. A hectare is exactly 10,000 square meters — the area of a 100 m × 100 m square. It is classified as a non-SI metric unit accepted for use with SI.
Is the section to hectare conversion exact?
Yes. A hectare is exactly 10,000 square meters — the area of a 100 m × 100 m square. That fixed definition is what the converter above uses, so any rounding you see is a display choice, not a limitation of the math.