The formula for the surface area \( A \) of a cube with side length \( s \) is given by:
\[ A = 6s^2 \]
For a cube with a side length of \( 13 \), we can substitute \( s = 13 \) into the formula:
\[ A = 6 \times (13)^2 \]
First, calculate \( (13)^2 \):
\[ (13)^2 = 169 \]
Now, substitute \( 169 \) back into the surface area formula:
\[ A = 6 \times 169 = 1014 \]
Therefore, the surface area of the cube is \( 1014 \) square units.