Acre to Hectare Converter

An acre (ac) is a unit of area traditionally defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in one day. It equals 43,560 square feet or approximately 4,047 square meters, making it ideal for measuring agricultural and residential land.

The acre originated in medieval England around the 13th century, derived from the Old English 'æcer' meaning 'field'. It was originally defined as a furlong (660 feet) long by one chain (66 feet) wide, representing a practical day's work for a farmer. The acre was standardized in various forms across different regions before being internationally defined.

Acres are extensively used in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries for measuring farmland, residential properties, and real estate. They're standard in agricultural reports, property listings, land development, and zoning regulations in these countries.

A hectare (ha) is a metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters or 0.01 square kilometers. It represents the area of a square with 100-meter sides, making it convenient for measuring medium to large land areas.

The hectare was introduced in 1795 as part of the original metric system during the French Revolution. The name comes from the Greek 'hekaton' meaning 'hundred' and the Latin 'area'. It was designed to provide a practical unit for agricultural and land measurement, filling the gap between square meters and square kilometers.

Hectares are extensively used in agriculture, forestry, real estate, and land management worldwide. They're the standard unit for farm sizes, forest areas, park measurements, and land development projects. Most countries use hectares for official land area measurements and agricultural statistics.