Scale 1:250,000: what does 1 cm on the map equal?
At a scale of 1:250,000, everything on paper is 250,000 times smaller than in reality: 1 cm on the drawing equals 250,000 cm, that is, 2.5 km on the ground. To convert, multiply the paper measurement by 250,000; to draw, divide the real measurement by 250,000.
Quick conversion
Type a value in either box. Open the full scale calculator
Conversion table
| On paper | On the ground |
|---|---|
| 1 mm | 250 m |
| 5 mm | 1.25 km |
| 1 cm | 2.5 km |
| 2 cm | 5 km |
| 5 cm | 12.5 km |
| 10 cm | 25 km |
| 20 cm | 50 km |
| 50 cm | 125 km |
| On the ground | On paper |
|---|---|
| 500 m | 2 mm |
| 1 km | 4 mm |
| 2 km | 8 mm |
| 5 km | 2 cm |
| 10 km | 4 cm |
| 20 km | 8 cm |
| 50 km | 20 cm |
| 100 km | 40 cm |
| 200 km | 80 cm |
How much fits on a sheet
| Sheet | Ground covered (whole sheet, no margins) | Area |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 74.25 km × 52.5 km | 3,898.13 km² |
| A3 | 105 km × 74.25 km | 7,796.25 km² |
| A2 | 148.5 km × 105 km | 15,592.5 km² |
| A1 | 210.25 km × 148.5 km | 31,222.13 km² |
| A0 | 297.25 km × 210.25 km | 62,496.81 km² |
What the 1:250,000 scale is used for
Regional and road maps and overviews of large areas.
FAQ
What does 1 cm equal at a scale of 1:250,000?
1 cm on paper equals 2.5 km on the ground. Multiply the paper measurement by 250,000: 1 cm × 250,000 = 2.5 km.
How do you measure a distance on a 1:250,000 map?
Measure on paper with a ruler in centimeters and multiply by 2,500: the result is in meters. To draw, do the opposite: divide the real distance in meters by 2,500 to get centimeters on paper.
What does 1 cm² equal at a scale of 1:250,000?
1 cm² on paper corresponds to 6.25 km² on the ground, because area is multiplied by the square of the scale (250,000 × 250,000).