square mile

American  

[skwair mahyl] / ˈskwɛər ˈmaɪl /

noun

• square miles
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• square miles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of square mile

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

square mile

Using data from Europe's Sentinel-1 radar satellites, the scientists monitored seasonal changes on nearly every Alaska glacier larger than about half a square mile between mid-2016 and 2024.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Today, Hood County has the sixth most planned data centers among Texas counties; per square mile, it ranks third.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

Home to Africa's richest square mile, Johannesburg is also scarred by crumbling infrastructure, lack of services and chronic mismanagement.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025

It essentially entails trying to locate one square mile of activity in a 1,000-square-mile search area, Hunnicutt said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2025

Central Mexico, they said, was the most densely populated place on earth, with more than twice as many people per square mile than China or India.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann