What is square yard?
A square yard is a unit of area in imperial and US customary systems equal to 9 square feet. It is used in carpet and fabric measurement, as well as in construction and landscaping in the United States.
Real-world uses
Square yards are used for carpet and flooring sales in the US and UK, fabric quantities, and some land area descriptions. Cricket pitch dimensions are often discussed in square yards. Landscaping materials like sod are sometimes sold per square yard.
History
The square yard is a natural extension of the yard measurement. It has been used in the British and American textile trade for centuries, where fabric is traditionally measured in linear yards but flooring and carpeting in square yards.
Common mistakes
Confusing square yards with square feet—1 square yard equals 9 square feet (3 ft × 3 ft), not 3 square feet. This error often leads to significant under- or over-ordering of materials.
What is are?
An are is a metric unit of area equal to 100 square metres. While largely replaced by the hectare for most practical uses, it is still referenced in some European countries for measuring agricultural plots.
Real-world uses
The are (100 m²) is used in some European countries for small land parcels and garden plots. In France, small agricultural plots and building lots may be listed in ares. It is most commonly encountered as the basis for the hectare (100 ares).
History
The are was defined in 1795 during the creation of the metric system in France as 100 square metres. Though the hectare eclipsed it in common usage, the are remains a legally recognized metric unit in several European countries.
Common mistakes
Confusing the are (a unit of area equal to 100 m²) with the word "are" (verb). Also, many people are unfamiliar with this unit and do not realize that 1 hectare = 100 ares.
When is this conversion used?
Converting between square yard and are is common when working across metric and imperial systems, such as international trade, travel between countries with different measurement standards, or following instructions from a different region.
Worked examples
1 square yard = 0.00836127 are
1 are = 100 square metre
How to convert square yard to are
To convert square yard to are, multiply the value by 0.00836127.
To convert are back to square yard, multiply by 119.59900463.
Measurement standards
The square metre is the SI derived unit of area. The hectare (10,000 m²) is accepted for use with the SI by the BIPM, particularly for land measurement, though it is not an SI unit itself.
Did you know?
Vatican City, the world's smallest independent state, covers just 0.44 km² (about 109 acres) — smaller than many golf courses. By contrast, Russia spans over 17.1 million km², nearly 39 million times larger.
Quick reference: square yard to are
| square yard | are |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.00083613 |
| 0.5 | 0.00418064 |
| 1 | 0.00836127 |
| 2 | 0.01672255 |
| 5 | 0.04180637 |
| 10 | 0.08361274 |
| 25 | 0.20903184 |
| 50 | 0.41806368 |
| 100 | 0.83612736 |
| 250 | 2.0903184 |
| 500 | 4.1806368 |
| 1,000 | 8.3612736 |
Common values
| square yard | are | |
|---|---|---|
| A4 paper | 0.07415138 square yard | 0.00062 are |
| Parking space | 14.94987558 square yard | 0.125 are |
| Tennis court | 311.99792338 square yard | 2.6087 are |
| Football field (soccer) | 8,539.36893059 square yard | 71.4 are |
| Central Park, NYC | 4,078,326.05788668 square yard | 34,100 are |