A survey township is 36 square miles.
Townships to Square miles Converter — twp to mi2
Convert Township (twp) to Square mile (mi2) using the exact conversion factor (1 township = 36 square mile). See the formula, worked examples, conversion table, history, and common uses.
Townships to Square miles 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 square mile is 640 acres.
Result = input x 9.3239572e+7 / 2.58998811e+6.
Area uses the square meter as the base unit.
Reserved above the conversion cards and below the converter.
About Converting Townships to Square miles
Comparing Township and Square mile 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 survey township is 36 square miles, and a square mile is 640 acres.
Formula
square miles = townships × 36
This factor comes from each unit's defined relationship to the category's base unit: 1 township equals 93239571.9721 base units, and 1 square mile equals 2589988.11034 base units, so dividing one by the other gives the direct township-to-square mile factor of 36.
Simple example
1 twp × 36 = 36 mi2
1 township = 36 square miles.
Real-world example
10 twp × 36 = 360 mi2
10 townships = 360 square miles.
Conversion table
| Township (twp) | Square mile (mi2) |
|---|---|
| 1 twp | 36 mi2 |
| 5 twp | 180 mi2 |
| 10 twp | 360 mi2 |
| 25 twp | 900 mi2 |
| 50 twp | 1,800 mi2 |
| 100 twp | 3,600 mi2 |
Reverse conversion: Square mile to Township
36 mi2 × 0.02777777778 = 1 twp
36 square miles = 1 township.
townships = square miles × 0.0277777777778
For a page dedicated to this direction, see Square mile to Township.
Understanding the Township (twp)
A survey township is 36 square miles.
Understanding the Square mile
Square mile (mi2) measures area. A square mile is exactly 2,589,988.110336 square meters, derived from the international mile fixed in 1959. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
Where it's used: United States (county, metro, and regional area reporting)
Uses of the Square mile today
- US city, county, and regional area statistics
- Population density reporting (people per square mile)
- Land-use and geography in US contexts
History of the Square mile
The square mile follows directly from the statute mile, itself fixed at exactly 1,609.344 meters by the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement; squaring that value gives the modern square mile.
Historical origin. Square mile was not the invention of a single named person; it developed through the process described above.
Square mile — sources
- NIST — International yard and pound (1959) — Basis for the modern mile and its derived area unit.
Reserved between the cards and the FAQ so the page stays balanced.
Frequently asked questions
How many square miles are in 1 township?
1 township equals 36 square miles, using the exact defined conversion factor rather than an estimate.
How do I convert township to square mile?
Multiply the township value by 36. The converter above does this instantly to whatever precision you set.
How do I convert square mile back to township?
Use the reverse factor: 1 square mile equals 0.0277777778 townships. You can also use the swap control in the converter above to flip the direction instantly.
What is a township?
Township (twp) is a unit of area.
What is a square mile?
Square mile (mi2) measures area. A square mile is exactly 2,589,988.110336 square meters, derived from the international mile fixed in 1959. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
Is the township to square mile conversion exact?
Yes. A square mile is exactly 2,589,988.110336 square meters, derived from the international mile fixed in 1959. That fixed definition is what the converter above uses, so any rounding you see is a display choice, not a limitation of the math.