square mile

American  

[skwair mahyl] / ˈskwɛər ˈmaɪl /

noun

1. a unit of area measurement equal to a square measuring one mile on each side; equivalent to 2.59 square kilometers. mi 2 , sq. mi.

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Etymology

Origin of square mile

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

Secretary of State William Seward paid roughly $12 per square mile of Alaska in 1867.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

The country’s east is heavily urbanized, with a population density about 50 times that of Arctic Scandinavia and Finland, where every square mile houses on average five people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

Koreatown is one of the densest parts of Los Angeles — at 44,000 people per square mile, it’s more crowded than most New York City boroughs.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

The order affects an area of about one square mile in America's second-largest city.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

Shenandoah is said to have the highest density of black bears anywhere in the world—slightly over one per square mile.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson