Hectare (ha)

Definition

Exactly 10 000 m² — the metric unit for land area.

History

The hectare was introduced with the metric system as a practical unit for land, equal to 10 000 square meters, or a square 100 meters on each side. Its name joins hecto, for a hundred, with the are of 100 square meters.

Where it is used

Hectares measure farmland and land area throughout the metric world.

Typical uses include farmland, land area outside the US.

Conversion pages

These pages convert hectare to or from another unit in area.

• Acre to hectare

Other Area units

• Square meter (m²)
• Square foot (ft²)
• Square inch (in²)
• Square centimeter (cm²)
• Square kilometer (km²)
• Square mile (mi²)
• Acre (ac)
• Square yard (yd²)

Sources

• BIPM SI BIPM SI Brochure (2019) · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026