How Many Steps Are in a Mile?

When determining how many steps are in a mile, there are a few factors to consider, including how tall you are and what kinds of steps you’re taking. Are they walking steps? Jogging strides? Sprinting bounds?

As a very general rule of thumb, the taller you are and the faster you go, the longer your stride length and, therefore, the fewer steps it’ll take you to travel a mile.

But you are able to calculate a very rough estimate of the number of steps in a mile. The University of Nebraska Medical School places the average person’s stride length while walking at 2.5 feet. Simply divide the number of feet in a mile (5,280) by an average stride length of 2.5 feet, and you’ll arrive at an average of 2,112 steps per mile.

That’s not all that helpful when you’re, say, a foot taller or shorter than average. So, if you want to figure out how many steps you walk in a mile, you can base your calculations on a shorter distance, or you can plug your height into a mathematical formula to convert your steps to miles.

Below, we’ll show you how to do it both ways. But if you want to skip the math altogether, jump down to the chart at the bottom to find the approximate number of steps in a mile based on your height.

Option 1: Count the Mile Out

1. Measure your steps

Measure your distance traveled, in feet, by walking 10 steps. Move at a normal pace to get the most accurate number based on how you usually walk.

2. Find your average stride length

Divide that distance by 10. (Distance traveled/10 = average stride length in feet.)

3. Find how many steps you walk in a mile

Since there are 5,280 feet in a mile, divide 5,280 by your average stride length in feet. (5,280/average stride length in feet = steps per mile.)

Option 2: Use the Mile Formula

This method may not be as accurate as measuring your exact steps. Let’s use the average height for men as an example.

1. Convert your height to inches

There are 12 inches in a foot. The average male is 5’9”, so that’s 69 inches tall. (5 feet x 12 inches + 9 inches = 69 inches.)

2. Find your average stride length

Multiply your height in inches by 0.413. This is a standardized number that helps estimate average stride length.

Then convert your stride length back to feet for the next step. (69 inches x 0.413 = 28.5 inches per stride. 28.5 inches/12 inches per foot = 2.38 feet per stride.)

3. Find how many steps you walk in a mile

Divide 5,280 by your average stride length in feet. (5,280/2.38 feet = 2,219 steps per mile.)

Remember, stride length changes based on speed/activity, but both of these approaches provide approximate calculations to help you figure out the number of steps you take to travel a mile.

But no matter how you calculate it, there’s one more thing to do after you figure out how many steps you take to go a mile…

4. Get walking!

Walking is a great way to keep your body moving, whether you do it between classes, around the office, or by running errands.

Set a goal to walk a certain number of steps each day. You might be surprised at how easily they add up!

 

Height	Approx. Steps per Mile
4’10”	2,645
4’11”	2,600
5’0″	2,557
5’1″	2,515
5’2″	2,474
5’3″	2,435
5’4″	2,397
5’5″	2,360
5’6″	2,325
5’7″	2,290
5’8″	2,256
5’9″	2,223
5’10”	2,192
5’11”	2,161
6’0″	2,131
6’1″	2,102
6’2″	2,073
6’3″	2,046
6’4″	2,019
6’5″	1,992
6’6″	1,969
6’7″	1,942