Area Calculator

Calculate the area of any 2D shape: rectangle, square, triangle, circle, trapezoid, parallelogram, ellipse, or sector. Includes formulas, step-by-step solutions, and unit conversion.

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Calculate Area

Shape

Length

Width

Unit

Area Result

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Area

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Square Feet

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Square Meters

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Acres

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Area Formulas for All Shapes

Shape	Formula	Variables	Example
Rectangle	A = l × w	l = length, w = width	10 × 6 = 60
Square	A = s²	s = side length	8² = 64
Triangle	A = ½ × b × h	b = base, h = height	½ × 12 × 8 = 48
Circle	A = π × r²	r = radius	π × 5² = 78.54
Trapezoid	A = ½(b₁ + b₂) × h	b₁, b₂ = bases, h = height	½(10+6) × 4 = 32
Parallelogram	A = b × h	b = base, h = height	10 × 6 = 60
Ellipse	A = π × a × b	a, b = semi-axes	π × 6 × 4 = 75.40
Sector	A = (θ/360) × π × r²	θ = angle, r = radius	(90/360) × π × 5² = 19.63

Area Unit Conversions

From	To	Multiply By
Square Feet	Square Meters	0.0929
Square Meters	Square Feet	10.764
Square Feet	Acres	0.0000229568
Square Meters	Hectares	0.0001
Square Inches	Square Centimeters	6.4516
Square Yards	Square Meters	0.8361

Understanding Area Calculations

Area measures the amount of two-dimensional space enclosed within a shape's boundaries, expressed in square units (ft², m², in²). Unlike perimeter, which measures the distance around a shape, area measures the space inside it. Area calculations are fundamental to construction, landscaping, real estate, painting, flooring, and countless engineering applications.

For home improvement projects, our Square Footage Calculator specializes in room measurement with material cost estimates and waste factors. For converting between measurement systems, use our cm to Inches and feet to meters converters. The area of irregular shapes can be approximated by breaking them into combinations of standard shapes, calculating each, and summing the results.

A 2023 survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that the average new single-family home in the US is 2,411 square feet, down from a peak of 2,687 sq ft in 2015 — a trend driven by rising construction costs and smaller lot sizes. Understanding area helps homebuyers evaluate whether a home's layout maximizes usable space relative to its total square footage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate the area of a rectangle?

Multiply length × width. A room that is 12 feet long and 10 feet wide has an area of 120 square feet. This is the most common area calculation in everyday life.

How do I find the area of an irregular shape?

Break the irregular shape into standard shapes (rectangles, triangles, circles), calculate each area separately, then add them together. For L-shaped rooms, divide into two rectangles. For shapes with curved sections, approximate with triangles or use the sector formula for circular arcs.

What's the difference between area and perimeter?

Area measures the space inside a shape (in square units like ft²), while perimeter measures the distance around the outside (in linear units like ft). A 10×10 room has an area of 100 sq ft and a perimeter of 40 ft. You need area for flooring/paint coverage and perimeter for baseboards/fencing.

How do I convert square feet to square meters?

Multiply square feet by 0.0929. For example, 200 sq ft × 0.0929 = 18.58 square meters. To convert the other way, multiply square meters by 10.764.

How many square feet in an acre?

One acre equals 43,560 square feet, or approximately 4,047 square meters. An acre is roughly the size of a football field without the end zones (which is 48,000 sq ft).

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