The surface area of a cylinder can be calculated using the formula $$S=2\pi rh+2\pi r^2,$$ where $r$ is the cylinder's radius and $h$ its height.

The cylinders surface area can be seen as three separate parts: top, bottom, and side. The area of the side has the shape of a rectangle and its area is given by $2\pi rh.$ The top and the bottom are circles and each one has the area $\pi r^2.$