Skip to content
UnitCalculators.com

Square inches to square centimetres

Multiply square inches by 6.4516 to get square centimetres.

1 in² = 6.4516 cm²NIST HB 44 · BIPM SI
in²
129.032cm²

20 in² = 129.032 cm²

How to convert square inches to square centimetres

The square centimetre is one ten-thousandth of a square metre (10⁻⁴ m²). The square inch is exactly 6.4516 cm² (2.54 cm squared).

Worked example — 20 in²: 20 × 6.4516 = 129.032 cm².

Square inches to square centimetres table

Common conversions.
Square inchesSquare centimetres
1 in²6.4516 cm²
2 in²12.9032 cm²
5 in²32.258 cm²
10 in²64.516 cm²
20 in²129.032 cm²
50 in²322.58 cm²
100 in²645.16 cm²
144 in²929.0304 cm²
500 in²3,225.8 cm²

Reverse and related

About square inches and square centimetres

Square inch (in²)

1 in² = 6.4516 cm²

Definition. Exactly 6.4516 cm² (2.54 cm squared)

History and origin

The square inch is a square one inch on each side, derived from the inch fixed at 2.54 centimetres in 1959. It equals exactly 6.4516 square centimetres.

Current use

Square inches measure small parts, print areas and screens.

Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (area); 1959 yard-and-pound agreement

Square centimetre (cm²)

1 cm² = 0.155 in²

Definition. One ten-thousandth of a square metre (10⁻⁴ m²)

History and origin

The square centimetre is one ten-thousandth of a square metre, part of the decimal metric system. Its small size suits fine measurements.

Current use

Square centimetres measure small areas and material samples.

Source: BIPM SI Brochure (2019)

Where people use this

Square inches: small parts, print and screens. Square centimetres: small areas, material samples. 1 sq in is exactly 6.4516 cm².

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 cm² = 0.15500031 in², so 1 in² = 1 ÷ 0.15500031 = 6.4516 cm².

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Sources: BIPM SI Brochure (2019); NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (area); 1959 yard-and-pound agreement.

Questions people ask

How many cm² in a square inch?

One square inch is exactly 6.4516 cm².

How many cm² is 10 sq in?

10 sq in is about 64.5 cm².

How many sq in in a square foot?

One square foot is 144 square inches.

All square inch conversions