Description of Acreage Compared to Footage

Types

• There are two types of acres, the United States Survey acre and the International acre. An International acre is equivalent to about 43,556.3111 square feet; the U.S. Survey acre is about one-quarter square inch larger at 43,556.4897 square feet.

Comparison

• One acre covers the entire width of a football field and the length of the football field from one end zone to the opposing side's nine-yard line.

Obsolete Measurements

• Scotland used the Scottish acre (about 54,660 square feet) from 1661 to 1823 before adopting the standard English acre; Ireland's acre measured 70,560 square feet, or about 84 feet by 840 feet. The Cheshire acre has only been historically used in the county of Cheshire, England, and equals 43,560 square feet or about 96 by 960 feet. The Roman acre -- known as an actus quadratus -- equaled about 13,557 square feet.