How to find a regular hexagon's area
A regular hexagon has six equal sides and angles. Its area is A = (3√3 ÷ 2) × s², where s is the side length. The constant 3√3 ÷ 2 is about 2.598, so A ≈ 2.598 × s². For a side of 6, A = about 93.53 square units.
The formula is easy to derive. Draw lines from the centre to each corner and the hexagon falls into six equilateral triangles, each with side s. One equilateral triangle has area (√3 ÷ 4) × s², so six of them give 6 × (√3 ÷ 4) × s², which simplifies to (3√3 ÷ 2) × s². A regular hexagon is six identical equilateral triangles around a centre, so the triangle area calculator reaches the same total the long way.
How to use this calculator
Enter the side length — one of the six equal edges. The result is in square units of that length. A regular hexagon is made of six identical equilateral triangles, which is where the formula comes from.
Take care not to enter a width across the shape instead of a single edge. Because the area depends on s², an input that is double the true side gives an area four times too large. If you have measured corner to corner across the centre, halve that distance to recover the side.
Hexagon among polygons
A hexagon is the 6-sided case of the general regular-polygon formula. For other side counts use the regular polygon area calculator, or the five-sided pentagon area calculator.
Hexagons matter in practice because they tile a flat surface with no gaps while enclosing more area per unit of perimeter than triangles or squares. That efficiency is why honeycomb cells, carbon-fibre cores and many floor tiles are hexagonal — the shape uses the least wall material for the most space.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the formula for a regular hexagon's area?
- A = (3√3 ÷ 2) × s², where s is the side length. The constant is about 2.598.
- What is the area of a hexagon with side 6?
- About 93.53 square units.
- Why six triangles?
- A regular hexagon splits into six equilateral triangles with the same side, which together give the area formula.
- What units is the area in?
- Square units of whatever length unit you used for the side.
- Does this work for an irregular hexagon?
- No. The formula assumes all six sides and angles are equal. For an irregular six-sided shape, divide it into triangles and add their areas, or use the coordinate shoelace method if you know the vertex positions.