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.

---

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

Thanks to long-term government contracts, it is now boom time across the roughly 1 square mile of factories, warehouses and offices that occupy a part of Tucson’s main airport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

In some parts of the U.S. territory, their numbers have climbed as high as 30,000 snakes per square mile.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 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

Las Flores serves a territory covering less than a square mile, wedged between its larger neighbors, Lincoln Avenue Water Co. and Rubio Cañon Land & Water Assn.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2026

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---