How Big Are 5 Acres of Land? (Weird Visuals)

How big are 5 acres of land, exactly… ? Five acres of land is a physical area equal to about 217,800 square feet. Hmmm…doesn’t help, does it?

Well, let’s figure out how long it’d take to walk across 5 acres of land.

Imagine you’re at your favorite RV park and you’d like to walk off those marsh mellows you ate last night at the ‘ole campfire. At a leisurely walking pace of 4 miles per hour (the average human pace), it’d take approximately 150 minutes to fully explore and appreciate all 5 acres.

This helped me to put 5 acres into perspective, but I think we can do better visually (see below).

Quick Fact: 5 Acres of Land Is Considered Ideal for Self Sustaining Living

There are many people that believe that, in order to be self-sufficient, you would need at least 5 acres of land. This is because, on a 5-acre plot, you could have:

• A garden for produce
• A small orchard for fruit trees
• Several animals for milk, eggs, and meat
• A well and septic tank for water and sewage
• Living space 
• A small pond, stream, or river on your land for clean water
• Firepit surrounded by sitting logs provides a place to socialize with guests and family

However, to be self-sufficient on 5 acres is easier if you live in an area where space is more abundant. For instance, Alaska has the most unclaimed land of any US state.

How Big Are 5 Acres of Land?
(Let’s Use Visual Comparisons to Gain Perspective)

Visualize 5 Acres of Land and an Ice Hockey Field

Visualize 5 Acres of Land and the US Capitol

Visualize 5 Acres of Land and Central Park NYC

Visualize 5 Acres of Land and an Eight Lane Highway

Visualize 5 Acres of Land and 416 Parking Lots

House and 5 Acres of Land? (Video)