How to measure an area on a map — hectares, acres and m²
Open the ruler on the Live map, place the corners of the field or parcel, then select Area. On Android, long-press each corner; on iPhone, tap. NomadTracks closes the shape and shows its area in m², hectares or acres. The ruler is part of the free app.
You can measure on a basemap or on a georeferenced custom map. The Chamonix screenshots below show an illustrative polygon, not a surveyed property boundary.
Get NomadTracks free — iOS & Android
Open the ruler
On the live map, tap the ruler button. An Area button appears with it, dimmed until you have placed three points.
Place the corners
Work around the edge in order. On Android, long-press each corner. On iPhone, tap each corner. The connecting legs show their lengths.
Switch to Area
With three or more points, tap Area. NomadTracks closes the shape back to your first point and shows the enclosed area in the middle of it.
Read it in your units
Metric and nautical units show m², then hectares from one hectare up, then km² for very large areas. Imperial shows square feet, then acres, then square miles. Change units in Settings.
Start again
Reset asks before it clears the measurement, so a stray tap cannot wipe a shape you took time over.
More field workflows
Keep site observations alongside your maps: organize POIs in folders and filter by category or rating. Download a NomadTracks basemap before working without a connection.
FAQ
Is area measurement free?
Yes. The ruler and area measurement are part of the free app, with no account and no subscription. Only road-snapped measuring — distances along real roads and trails instead of straight lines — is a Pro feature.
How accurate is the area?
The area is computed on the curved surface of the Earth rather than on a flat map projection, so it stays correct for large areas too. In practice the limit is how precisely you place the corners, which is why zooming in helps.
Can I measure on a cadastral or plot map?
Yes. Import and georeference the sheet, switch on its overlay, and place the corners on it. On Android, long-press to add each point.
Which units can it show?
m², hectares and km² in metric; square feet, acres and square miles in imperial. The app picks the step that reads best for the size of the area.