Land Area Calculator

Q: Can I draw more than one area at a time?

Yes. Click Draw New Area again after finishing your first shape. Each area gets its own row in the breakdown table, and the tool adds them all together for the total.

Q: How do I delete a single point from my shape?

Click Edit Active , then click the white circle on the point you want to remove. The shape must keep at least 3 points, so you cannot delete a point if only 3 remain.

Q: How do I add a point to an existing shape?

Click Edit Active . You will see small orange circles at the middle of each edge. Click one of those orange circles to add a new corner point at that spot. Then drag it where you need it.

Q: Can I search by GPS coordinates?

Yes. Type coordinates in decimal format like 39.7392, -104.9903 into the search bar and press Search. The map will jump right to that spot.

Q: What map views are available?

You can choose from four views: Satellite (aerial photos), Roadmap (street map), Hybrid (aerial photos with labels), and Terrain (elevation and contour lines). Satellite is best for tracing property lines.

land area calculator

Updated Jul 13, 2026 By Jehan Wadia

#	Area (primary unit)	Area (m²)	Perimeter (m)
Total	—	—	—

Area (primary unit)

Area (m²)

Perimeter (m)

Total

—

Introduction

This land area calculator lets you measure the size of any piece of land right on a map. You can draw the shape of your lot, yard, farm, or property, and the tool will calculate the area in acres, square feet, square meters, hectares, and more. It also shows the perimeter, or the total distance around the edges.

To get started, search for an address or place, then click points on the map to outline your land. You can draw one shape or several. The calculator uses the Shoelace formula — a proven method in geometry — to find the exact area of any polygon you draw. You can also drag corners to adjust your shape, change map views between satellite and street, and export your results.

Whether you need to measure a backyard with a square footage calculator, figure out how many acres a farm has, or compare lot sizes, this tool gives you fast and accurate results with a full step-by-step breakdown of the math.

How to Use Our Land Area Calculator

This land area calculator lets you draw any shape on a map and instantly get the area and perimeter in multiple units. Just find your land, trace its borders, and hit Calculate to see your results.

Find your land: Type an address, ZIP code, UK postcode, or latitude and longitude coordinates into the search bar. You can also click Use My Location to jump straight to where you are. The map will move to the spot you picked.

Choose your base map: Use the Base Map dropdown to switch between Satellite, Roadmap, Hybrid, or Terrain views. Satellite view works best for tracing land borders since you can see the ground clearly.

Draw your land boundary: Click the Draw New Area button, then click on the map to place corner points around your land. When you are done, double-click or click the first point again to close the shape. You can draw more than one area if needed.

Edit your shape: Click Edit Active to drag corner points to new spots. Click any white point to remove it, or click an orange midpoint to add a new corner. This helps you get an exact match to your property line.

Pick your primary unit: Under the results section, select the unit you want to see first — Acres, ft², yd², m², Hectares, km², or mi². This unit will show on the map labels, the summary bar, and the breakdown table. If you need to switch between acres and square feet quickly, try our acres to square feet calculator or sq ft to acres calculator.

Set polygon style: Change the fill color, border color, and border thickness to make your drawn area easier to see on the map. Check Hide Fill if you only want to see the outline.

Calculate: Click the Calculate button to update all measurements. The tool returns the total area in seven units, the perimeter in feet, meters, miles, and kilometers, plus real-world size comparisons like football fields and basketball courts. A step-by-step math solution and a bar chart are also shown below.

Export your results: Click Print to print the page, Download Image to save the map as a PNG, Download KML to open your shapes in Google Earth, or Copy Coordinates to grab the latitude and longitude of every point you placed.

Reset: Click the Reset button to clear everything and start over with a fresh map.

What Is Land Area and How Is It Measured?

Land area is the amount of ground a piece of land covers. When you buy property, build a fence, or plan a garden, you need to know how big the land is. Land area is measured in units like acres, square feet, square meters, and hectares.

How Land Area Is Calculated

To find the area of a piece of land, you need to know the shape of its boundaries. Most land parcels are not perfect squares or rectangles. They have odd shapes with many corners. To measure these shapes, surveyors and calculators use a math method called the Shoelace Formula. This formula takes the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of each corner point and calculates the total space inside. It works for any shape, no matter how many sides it has, as long as the edges do not cross each other. For simpler geometric shapes, you can also use tools like a triangle area calculator, area of a rectangle calculator, or trapezoid area calculator.

Common Units of Land Area

Land area is expressed in different units depending on where you live and how big the land is. You can use our area converter calculator to quickly switch between any of these:

Acres – The most common unit for land in the United States. One acre equals 43,560 square feet.
Square Feet (ft²) – Used for smaller lots like house yards.
Square Meters (m²) – The standard metric unit used in most countries.
Hectares (ha) – Equal to 10,000 square meters. Common for farms and large properties outside the U.S.
Square Miles (mi²) and Square Kilometers (km²) – Used for very large areas like cities or counties.

What Is Perimeter?

The perimeter is the total distance around the outside edge of your land. It tells you how much fencing you would need to go all the way around the property. Perimeter is measured in feet, meters, miles, or kilometers. You can use a distance calculator to check the length between any two points.

Why Measuring Land Area Matters

Knowing your land area helps with many real tasks. You need it to set a fair price when buying or selling property, and a land loan calculator can help you plan your financing. You need it to figure out how much seed, fertilizer, or sod to buy for a lawn. Builders use it to plan construction and estimate materials like concrete or soil. Local governments use it to calculate property taxes. Having an accurate measurement saves time and money.

Formulas used

Local Equirectangular Projection

x_i = R \cos(\varphi_1)\,(\lambda_i - \lambda_1)\,\frac{\pi}{180}, \quad y_i = R\,(\varphi_i - \varphi_1)\,\frac{\pi}{180}

Shoelace Sum

S = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \left( x_i\, y_{i+1} - x_{i+1}\, y_i \right)

Polygon Area (Shoelace Formula)

A = \frac{1}{2} \left| S \right|

Perimeter

P = \sum_{i=1}^{n} d(P_i,\, P_{i+1})

Polygon Centroid

C_x = \frac{1}{6A} \sum_{i=1}^{n} (x_i + x_{i+1})(x_i\, y_{i+1} - x_{i+1}\, y_i), \quad C_y = \frac{1}{6A} \sum_{i=1}^{n} (y_i + y_{i+1})(x_i\, y_{i+1} - x_{i+1}\, y_i)

Area in Acres

A_{\text{acres}} = \frac{A_{\text{m}^2}}{4046.8564224}

Frequently asked questions

Is this land area calculator free to use?

Yes. This tool is 100% free. You can draw as many areas as you want, measure them, and export results without paying anything or creating an account.

How accurate is this calculator?

The math is very accurate. It uses the Shoelace formula on projected coordinates from the WGS-84 ellipsoid (R = 6,378,137 m). The main source of error is how carefully you place your points on the map. Zoom in close and place points right on property lines for the best results.

Can I measure land on my phone?

Yes. The calculator works on phones and tablets. Tap the map to place points just like you would click on a computer. Use Use My Location to jump to where you are standing.

Can I draw more than one area at a time?

Yes. Click Draw New Area again after finishing your first shape. Each area gets its own row in the breakdown table, and the tool adds them all together for the total.

How do I delete a single point from my shape?

Click Edit Active, then click the white circle on the point you want to remove. The shape must keep at least 3 points, so you cannot delete a point if only 3 remain.

How do I add a point to an existing shape?

Click Edit Active. You will see small orange circles at the middle of each edge. Click one of those orange circles to add a new corner point at that spot. Then drag it where you need it.

What is the Shoelace formula?

The Shoelace formula is a math method that finds the area of any polygon when you know the coordinates of its corners. It multiplies pairs of coordinates in a cross pattern, adds them up, and divides by two. It is called "Shoelace" because the cross pattern looks like lacing a shoe. You can see the full worked-out math in the Step-by-Step Solution section below the map.

Can I search by GPS coordinates?

Yes. Type coordinates in decimal format like 39.7392, -104.9903 into the search bar and press Search. The map will jump right to that spot.

What map views are available?

You can choose from four views: Satellite (aerial photos), Roadmap (street map), Hybrid (aerial photos with labels), and Terrain (elevation and contour lines). Satellite is best for tracing property lines.

What does the KML export do?

KML is a file format used by Google Earth and other mapping software. When you click Download KML, you get a file you can open in Google Earth to see your drawn areas in 3D. It also includes the area and perimeter in the description.

Why does my area show 0 or a very small number?

You need at least 3 points to make a shape. If you only placed 1 or 2 points, the area will be zero. Also, if all your points are in a straight line, the area will be nearly zero. Make sure your points form a closed shape.

Can I measure land that is not a simple rectangle?

Yes. You can draw any shape — triangles, L-shapes, curves approximated with many points, or irregular parcels with dozens of corners. Just place enough points to follow the boundary closely.

How do I measure a curved boundary?

Place many points close together along the curve. The more points you add, the closer your outline will match the real curved edge. Click Edit Active and use the orange midpoints to add extra corners where needed.

Does this tool account for hills and elevation?

No. This calculator measures plan area, which is the flat area as seen from above. It does not add extra area for slopes or hills. This is the standard way land area is measured in property records and surveys.

How big is an acre?

One acre is 43,560 square feet, about 4,047 square meters, or roughly the size of 75% of an American football field. It is the most common unit for measuring land in the United States.

Can I copy my results?

Yes. Click Copy Coordinates to copy all your point locations to your clipboard. You can also use Print to print the full page with the map and all measurements, or Download Image to save the map as a PNG file.

What is the difference between area and perimeter?

Area is the amount of ground inside your boundary, measured in square units like acres or square feet. Perimeter is the total distance around the outside edge, measured in feet, meters, or miles. Area tells you how much land you have. Perimeter tells you how much fencing you would need to go all the way around it.

Why do the edge labels switch between feet and meters?

The edge labels follow your primary unit setting. If you pick a metric primary unit (m², km², or hectares), edges show in meters or kilometers. If you pick an imperial unit (acres, ft², yd², or mi²), edges show in feet or miles.

Can I save my drawn areas and come back later?

The tool does not save your work between visits. To keep your data, use Download KML to save the shapes as a file, Copy Coordinates to save the point list, or Print to make a paper or PDF copy before you leave the page.

What do the real-world comparisons mean?

The comparisons show your total area in terms of familiar things. For example, if it says "2.5 football fields," your land is about 2.5 times the size of an American football field. This helps you picture how big the land really is.

Rate this calculator