This article is general information, not medical advice. It is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a licensed clinician. Talk to your doctor before changing medication, treatment, or an exercise program.
How many steps in a mile? For most adults walking at a normal pace, about 2,000 steps. The realistic range is roughly 1,900 to 2,400, and the thing that moves you within it is your height rather than your fitness or your weight.
If you are running, the number drops to somewhere around 1,400 to 1,700, because your stride gets considerably longer. That surprises people, who often assume running means more steps. It means fewer, taken faster.
How many steps in a mile by height
Stride length scales with leg length, which scales with height. These are walking figures at a normal, unhurried pace.
| Height | Approx. steps per mile, walking | Approx. steps per mile, running |
|---|---|---|
| 5ft 0in (152cm) | 2,370 | 1,710 |
| 5ft 2in (157cm) | 2,310 | 1,670 |
| 5ft 4in (163cm) | 2,250 | 1,630 |
| 5ft 6in (168cm) | 2,180 | 1,580 |
| 5ft 8in (173cm) | 2,110 | 1,530 |
| 5ft 10in (178cm) | 2,040 | 1,480 |
| 6ft 0in (183cm) | 1,970 | 1,430 |
| 6ft 2in (188cm) | 1,900 | 1,380 |
| 6ft 4in (193cm) | 1,840 | 1,330 |
The spread from one end of that table to the other is over 500 steps a mile, which is why any single answer to how many steps in a mile is only ever a starting point. Somebody at 5ft 0in walking the same distance as somebody at 6ft 4in records about 29% more steps for identical effort.
How many steps in a mile for you, measured in two minutes
Any estimate is beaten by measuring, and measuring is quick.
- Find a flat stretch where you can walk at least 20 normal paces without stopping.
- Mark your starting point, at the toe of your leading foot.
- Walk 20 steps at your ordinary pace. Not a marching pace, not a stroll. Count each foot landing as one step.
- Mark where you stopped and measure the distance between the two marks.
- Divide that distance by 20. That is your step length.
- Divide 5,280 feet by your step length in feet, or 1,609 metres by your step length in metres. That is your steps per mile.
A worked example. You walk 20 steps and cover 50 feet. 50 divided by 20 is a 2.5 foot step. 5,280 divided by 2.5 is 2,112 steps per mile.
Use 20 steps rather than 10. Counting error and your natural variation both average out better over a longer run, and the whole thing still takes under two minutes. That number is worth more than any table, because it depends on your legs rather than on an average.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
Between 4 and 5 miles for most people, or roughly 6.5 to 8 kilometres. Using the table above:
| Height | 10,000 steps in miles | In kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| 5ft 0in | 4.2 miles | 6.8 km |
| 5ft 4in | 4.4 miles | 7.1 km |
| 5ft 8in | 4.7 miles | 7.6 km |
| 6ft 0in | 5.1 miles | 8.2 km |
| 6ft 4in | 5.4 miles | 8.7 km |
At a typical walking pace that is somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours of walking, though almost nobody does it in one block. For most people the number accumulates across a whole day.
Where the 10,000 step target actually came from
This is worth knowing, because it is treated as a medical recommendation and it is not one.
The figure originated as marketing. In the run up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a Japanese company sold a pedometer called the manpo-kei, which translates as “10,000 step meter”. The number was chosen partly because it is round and memorable, and partly because the Japanese character for 10,000 looks like a walking figure. It was not the output of a clinical trial.
That does not make walking 10,000 steps a bad idea. It does mean the number carries no special authority, and that treating 9,400 as a failure makes very little sense. More recent research has generally found benefits accumulating well below 10,000 and continuing to rise above it, with no cliff edge at any particular figure.
Why your phone and your watch disagree
Two devices on the same walk routinely differ by hundreds of steps, and neither is lying.
- A wrist worn device counts arm movement, so it adds steps when you gesture, wash up or drive on a bumpy road, and misses them when you push a trolley or carry a bag.
- A phone in a pocket counts hip movement, which is more faithful to actual walking but misses everything you do while the phone is on a desk.
- Neither knows your stride. Unless you have told it your height, or it has calibrated against GPS over time, the distance it reports is an estimate built on an assumed step length.
If distance accuracy matters to you, walk a known route with GPS tracking on and let the device calibrate itself. Most will adjust their stride estimate afterwards.
What changes your steps per mile
| Factor | Effect on steps per mile |
|---|---|
| Being taller | Fewer steps |
| Walking faster | Fewer steps, stride lengthens with pace |
| Running | Considerably fewer |
| Walking uphill | More steps, stride shortens |
| Walking downhill | More steps, and shorter ones for control |
| Carrying something heavy | More steps |
| Uneven ground or sand | More steps |
| Age, typically | More steps, as stride shortens gradually |
Pace is the one people underestimate. The same person walking briskly rather than strolling can take 10% fewer steps to cover the same mile, purely because a faster walk has a longer stride. The figure is not even fixed for one person, it moves with how you are walking that day.
Steps to miles, quick reference
| Steps | Miles, approx. | Kilometres, approx. |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| 2,000 | 1 | 1.6 |
| 5,000 | 2.4 | 3.8 |
| 7,500 | 3.6 | 5.7 |
| 10,000 | 4.7 | 7.6 |
| 12,000 | 5.7 | 9.1 |
| 15,000 | 7.1 | 11.4 |
| 20,000 | 9.5 | 15.2 |
Those use 2,110 steps per mile, the figure for a 5ft 8in adult walking. Adjust using your own measurement from the section above if you want the number to be yours rather than average.
Measure once and you have your own answer to how many steps in a mile, which beats every estimate on this page. For more practical guides, see our Health section.
How many steps are in a mile?
About 2,000 for most adults walking at a normal pace, with a realistic range of roughly 1,900 to 2,400. Height is the main variable: someone 5ft 0in takes around 2,370 steps per mile, someone 6ft 4in around 1,840. Running takes fewer, typically 1,400 to 1,700, because the stride lengthens.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
Between 4 and 5 miles for most people, or about 6.5 to 8 kilometres. A person of 5ft 4in covers roughly 4.4 miles in 10,000 steps, while someone of 6ft 0in covers about 5.1 miles over the same count.
How do I work out my own steps per mile?
Walk 20 steps at your normal pace, measure the distance covered, and divide by 20 to get your step length. Then divide 5,280 feet by that figure, or 1,609 metres. For example, 50 feet over 20 steps is a 2.5 foot step, which works out at 2,112 steps per mile.
Do you take more steps running or walking?
Fewer running. Your stride lengthens substantially when you run, so a mile takes roughly 1,400 to 1,700 steps rather than the 2,000 or so it takes walking. You take fewer steps, faster, which is the opposite of what most people expect.
Where did the 10,000 steps a day target come from?
Marketing, not medicine. A Japanese pedometer sold around the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was called the manpo-kei, meaning 10,000 step meter, and the number was chosen partly for being round and memorable. Research since has generally found benefits accumulating well below 10,000 and continuing above it, with no threshold at that particular figure.
Why do my phone and my watch show different step counts?
They measure different things. A watch counts arm movement, so it adds steps when you gesture and misses them when you push a trolley. A phone in a pocket counts hip movement, which tracks walking more faithfully but records nothing while the phone sits on a desk. Neither knows your actual stride unless it has calibrated against GPS.
Does being taller mean fewer steps per mile?
Yes. Stride length scales with leg length, so taller people cover the same distance in fewer steps. The gap is large: across the range from 5ft 0in to 6ft 4in it is over 500 steps a mile, which is about 29% more steps for the shorter person at identical effort.