How many acres are in a hectare?

There are exactly 2.4710538147 acres in 1 hectare. For most practical real estate or agriculture uses, this is often rounded to 2.47 acres per hectare.

How many hectares are in an acre?

One acre is approximately 0.4046856422 hectares. You can calculate it by taking 1 ÷ 2.4710538147.

Is a hectare bigger than an acre?

Yes. A hectare is larger than an acre. One hectare equals about 2.47 acres, so a 10-hectare field is roughly 24.7 acres.

Hectares to Acres Converter (ha ⇄ ac)

Hectares (ha)	Acres (ac)	Use case (example)
0.25	≈ 0.62	Large house plot
0.5	≈ 1.24	Small hobby field
1	≈ 2.47	Typical small field
2	≈ 4.94	Small farm
5	≈ 12.36	Medium farm or orchard
10	≈ 24.71	Large farm / development parcel
20	≈ 49.42	Larger farm or estate
50	≈ 123.55	Very large agricultural holding

Formulas for converting between hectares and acres

Both hectares and acres measure area, typically for land. The hectare is part of the metric system, while the acre is a traditional imperial unit still widely used in real estate and agriculture in many countries.

By international agreement, the exact relationship is:

\[ 1\ \text{hectare} = 2.4710538147\ \text{acres} \]

and therefore

\[ 1\ \text{acre} = 0.4046856422\ \text{hectares} \]

From hectares to acres

To convert a land area from hectares to acres, multiply by 2.4710538147:

\[ \text{acres} = \text{hectares} \times 2.4710538147 \]

In everyday use you can safely round the factor to 2.47:

\[ \text{acres} \approx \text{hectares} \times 2.47 \]

From acres to hectares

To convert from acres to hectares, divide by the same factor (or multiply by its inverse):

\[ \text{hectares} = \frac{\text{acres}}{2.4710538147} \] or \[ \text{hectares} = \text{acres} \times 0.4046856422 \]

Worked examples

Example 1 – 5 hectares to acres
\[ \text{acres} = 5 \times 2.4710538147 \approx 12.3553\ \text{ac} \] In real estate marketing, you might show this as 12.36 ac.
Example 2 – 10 acres to hectares
\[ \text{hectares} = \frac{10}{2.4710538147} \approx 4.0469\ \text{ha} \] Rounded: 4.05 ha.
Example 3 – 1 hectare in square meters and square feet
By definition, 1 ha = 10,000 m². Since 1 m² ≈ 10.7639 ft², we get: \[ 10{,}000 \times 10.7639 \approx 107{,}639\ \text{ft}^2 \]

Why do we use hectares and acres?

The hectare (ha) is part of the metric system and is used worldwide in mapping, agriculture statistics, forestry, and environmental science. It is convenient because it is exactly 10,000 m², corresponding to a square of 100 m by 100 m.

The acre (ac) is used mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries with historic links to imperial measures. Many property deeds and land valuations are still expressed in acres, which is why a reliable hectare–acre converter is essential when comparing international data or translating listings.

Hectares, acres and square meters – quick comparison

1 ha = 10,000 m² ≈ 107,639 ft²
1 ac ≈ 4,046.856 m²
1 ha ≈ 2.471 ac
1 ac ≈ 0.4047 ha

A useful mental shortcut: think of an acre as roughly 4,000 m² and a hectare as roughly 2½ acres.

FAQ: hectares to acres

How do I quickly estimate hectares to acres in my head?

A good rule of thumb is to multiply hectares by 2.5 and then subtract about 3%. For example, 8 ha: 8 × 2.5 = 20 ac; subtract about 0.6 ac to get ≈ 19.4 ac. The exact value is ≈ 19.77 ac, so the estimate is usually close enough for quick mental checks.

Are hectares and acres both accepted in legal documents?

It depends on the country. Many jurisdictions accept both, but will specify an official base unit (often square meters) for ultimate precision. For contracts, always check local regulations and consider including both the hectare/acre value and the equivalent in m².

Is the conversion factor the same everywhere?

Yes. The hectare is an SI-derived metric unit and the acre is defined internationally in terms of square meters. That makes the factor 1 ha = 2.4710538147 ac universal, regardless of country.