How many steps in a mile by height and pace
An average adult takes about 2,252 steps in a mile. A 5 ft 10 in woman takes about 2,096.
Your steps in a mile
2,310 x 63.5 / 70 in
2,310 steps per mile for women at average height, Hoeger 2008. How we calculate this
Sex: Woman. Height: 5 ft 10 in. Pace: Easy walk, 20 minute mile.
Optional. Walk 20 steps over a known distance and divide. When filled, this replaces the height estimate.
An average adult takes about 2,252 steps to walk a mile at an easy 20 minute pace. A brisk 15 minute mile takes 1,935 steps, and running a mile in 8 minutes takes 1,400. Those are measured averages from a 44 person study (Hoeger 2008). Women average 2,310 walking steps per mile and men 2,176. Men are taller on average (68.9 in against 63.5 in, CDC data), and taller people take fewer steps. So your steps in a mile depend on your height and how fast you move, and the calculator above adjusts for both.
Pick your sex, enter your height and choose a pace to get your estimated steps per mile. If you have measured your own step length, enter that instead and the tool uses it directly, which beats any estimate.
Quick answer: how many steps are in a mile?
An average adult takes about 2,252 steps to walk a mile at an easy 20 minute pace, from a 44 person study (Hoeger 2008). A brisk 15 minute mile takes 1,935 steps, and running a mile in 8 minutes takes 1,400. Taller people take fewer steps, so women average 2,310 walking steps per mile and men 2,176.
Key takeaways
- Steps per mile depend on your height and your pace.
- 10,000 steps is about 4.4 miles at an easy pace: 4.33 miles for a woman of average height and 4.60 for a man.
- The common figure of 2,000 steps a mile only holds at a brisk pace.
- Your own measured step length beats any estimate.
Worked example
Take a 5 ft 10 in woman walking at an easy 20 minute pace. The average US woman is 63.5 in tall, and the women in the study averaged 2,310 steps per mile at that pace. Scale by height: 2,310 x 63.5 / 70 = 2,095.5, shown as 2,096 steps per mile. She is taller than average, so she takes fewer steps.
Now a 6 ft 4 in man at a brisk 15 minute pace. The average US man is 68.9 in tall, and the men in the study averaged 1,868 steps per mile at that pace. 1,868 x 68.9 / 76 = 1,693.49, shown as 1,693 steps per mile. Hoeger's chart gives about 1,732 for a 6 ft 4 in man at a slightly faster 14 minute mile. The same method gives 1,628 at that pace, about 6% fewer, inside the 10% spread.
If you know your step length, skip the chart. A step length of 0.75 m means a mile takes 1,609.344 / 0.75 = 2,145.8, shown as 2,146 steps. At that length, 10,000 steps cover 7,500 m, which is 7.50 km or 4.66 miles.
How many steps in a mile by height, sex and pace
| Height | Women, easy (20 min) | Women, brisk (15 min) | Women, run (8 min) | Men, easy (20 min) | Men, brisk (15 min) | Men, run (8 min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 2,445 | 2,103 | 1,555 | 2,499 | 2,145 | 1,562 |
| 5 ft 2 in | 2,366 | 2,035 | 1,505 | 2,418 | 2,076 | 1,511 |
| 5 ft 4 in | 2,292 | 1,971 | 1,458 | 2,343 | 2,011 | 1,464 |
| 5 ft 6 in | 2,223 | 1,912 | 1,413 | 2,272 | 1,950 | 1,420 |
| 5 ft 8 in | 2,157 | 1,856 | 1,372 | 2,205 | 1,893 | 1,378 |
| 5 ft 10 in | 2,096 | 1,802 | 1,333 | 2,142 | 1,839 | 1,339 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 2,037 | 1,752 | 1,296 | 2,082 | 1,788 | 1,301 |
| 6 ft 2 in | 1,982 | 1,705 | 1,261 | 2,026 | 1,739 | 1,266 |
| 6 ft 4 in | 1,930 | 1,660 | 1,227 | 1,973 | 1,693 | 1,233 |
The men's and women's columns sit close together at the same height. The method scales each sex's average by that sex's average height, so once you adjust for height, little of the sex split remains.
| Distance | Women walking | Men walking | Women running | Men running |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 1,435 | 1,352 | 913 | 845 |
| 1 mile | 2,310 | 2,176 | 1,469 | 1,360 |
| 5 km | 7,177 | 6,761 | 4,564 | 4,225 |
| 5 miles | 11,550 | 10,880 | 7,345 | 6,800 |
| 10 km | 14,354 | 13,521 | 9,128 | 8,451 |
How we calculate this
Formula
Steps per mile = average steps for your sex and pace x average height for your sex / your height.
Height: 5 ft 10 in = 70 in.
2,310 x 63.5 / 70 = 2,095.5, shown as 2,096 steps.
Your inputs
Sex: Woman, average height 63.5 in (CDC 2021 to 2023). Height 5 ft 10 in (177.8 cm). Pace: easy walk, 20 minute mile, 2,310 steps per mile for women at average height (Hoeger 2008).
Range
About 10% either way, our estimate: the averages come from 44 adults, and people of the same height differ in leg length and gait.
Sources
- Hoeger WWK, Bond L, Ransdell L, Shimon JM, Merugu S. One-mile step count at walking and running speeds. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal 2008;12(1):14-19 (read 8 October 2026). Averages from 44 adults: 2,252 steps per mile at a 20 minute mile (men 2,176, women 2,310) and 1,935 at a 15 minute mile (men 1,868, women 1,987). An 8 minute running mile took 1,400 steps (men 1,360, women 1,469).
- CDC/NCHS. FastStats: Body Measurements, from Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, August 2021 to August 2023 (read 8 October 2026). The average heights the tool scales by: men 20 and over 68.9 in (175.0 cm), women 63.5 in (161.3 cm).
- Tudor-Locke C et al. CADENCE-Adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2019;16:8 (ages 21 to 40, PMID 30654810), 2020;17:137 (ages 41 to 60, PMID 33168018) and 2021;18:129 (ages 61 to 85, PMID 34556146). The cadence lines in the guide below: for ages 21 to 60, 100 steps per minute marks 3 METs and 130 marks 6 METs. For ages 61 to 85, 100 marks 3 METs and 120 marks 5 METs.
- Bassett DR et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996;28(8):1071-1077 (PMID 8871919). Pedometer accuracy at walking speeds of 54 to 107 m/min, used in the treadmill answer below.
Limits
The source study measured 44 adults, and its figures are group averages. People of the same height differ in leg length and gait, so treat any number here as an estimate with about a 10% spread either way. A step length you measure yourself beats any chart, and the calculator uses it when you enter one.
Video: How Many Steps Are in a Mile?
Is 2,000 steps a mile?
Only for a runner or a tall, fast walker. The measured walking average is 2,252 steps per mile at a 20 minute pace and 1,935 at a 15 minute pace. So 2,000 steps covers about 0.89 miles at an easy pace and just over a mile at a brisk one. The 2,000 figure is a rounded rule of thumb, and it undercounts for anyone 6 ft or shorter walking at an easy pace. Use the table above, or the calculator, to get a figure for your height instead.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
About 4.4 miles for an average adult walking at an easy pace, or 7.1 km. By sex, 10,000 steps is 4.33 miles (6.97 km) for a woman of average height and 4.60 miles (7.40 km) for a man, both at a 20 minute pace. At a brisk 15 minute pace the same steps reach 5.03 miles for a woman and 5.35 for a man, because each step is longer. The common answer of "about 5 miles" assumes 2,000 steps per mile, which only holds at a brisk pace. If you want the calories behind those steps, use our steps to calories calculator.
Running versus walking a mile
Running cuts the step count by more than a third. The same study measured 2,252 steps for a 20 minute walking mile and 1,400 for an 8 minute running mile, with men at 1,360 and women at 1,469. A stride lengthens as you speed up, so fewer steps cover the distance. Some pages quote 1,000 running steps per mile, but even an 8 minute mile took 1,360 steps for the men in this study. At the table's 8 minute pace, a 6 ft 4 in man needs about 1,233 steps and a 5 ft 0 in woman about 1,555.
Does walking speed change steps per mile?
Yes, by about 14% between an easy and a brisk walk. The measured average falls from 2,252 steps at a 20 minute mile to 1,935 at a 15 minute mile, a drop of 317 steps. Those two figures also tell you the cadence: 2,252 steps in 20 minutes is about 113 steps per minute, and 1,935 steps in 15 minutes is about 129. The CADENCE-Adults studies place 100 steps per minute at moderate intensity (3 METs) and 130 at vigorous (6 METs) for adults aged 21 to 60. A 15 minute mile therefore sits right at the vigorous line. The calculator offers those three measured paces.
How to measure your own step length
Walk 20 steps at your normal pace over a surface where you can mark the start and end, measure the distance, and divide by 20. A 15 m walk in 20 steps gives a step length of 0.75 m. Then distance = steps x step length: 10,000 steps x 0.75 m = 7,500 m, or 7.50 km, or 4.66 miles. Measure at the pace you usually walk, because a brisk step is longer than a strolling one. Enter the result in the calculator and it will use your measurement instead of the height estimate.
How many steps in a kilometer?
About 1,399 for an average adult walking at an easy pace. That is 2,252 steps per mile x 0.621371 miles per km. By sex it is 1,435 steps per km for a woman of average height and 1,352 for a man, both at a 20 minute mile. Running an 8 minute mile pace, a kilometer takes about 913 steps for a woman and 845 for a man. A 5 km walk is roughly 7,177 steps for a woman and 6,761 for a man, and 10 km is about double that.
How long does it take to walk a mile?
Minutes = steps divided by cadence. At the measured easy pace, a mile is 2,252 steps and takes 20 minutes, which works out to about 113 steps per minute. A brisk mile of 1,935 steps takes 15 minutes at about 129 steps per minute. If you know your cadence from a watch, divide your steps per mile by it. 2,252 steps at 100 steps per minute is about 23 minutes, and at 130 steps per minute about 17 minutes. The steps to calories calculator uses cadence presets of 80, 100, 115, 130 and 150 steps per minute, or one you type.
Does a treadmill count steps correctly?
A treadmill sets the speed and measures the distance, so it is a fair place to check a step count. The weak point is the device that counts. Bassett and colleagues (source 4) tested pedometers at walking speeds of 54 to 107 m/min and found accuracy varied by brand. If your watch and the treadmill display disagree, measure your own step length with the method above and use it to check which count is off.
Frequently asked questions
How many steps in a mile for a 5 ft 4 in woman?
About 2,292 steps at an easy 20 minute pace, 1,971 at a brisk pace, and 1,458 running an 8 minute mile.
How many steps in a mile for a 6 ft man?
About 2,082 steps at an easy 20 minute pace, 1,788 brisk, and 1,301 running an 8 minute mile.
Does 5,000 steps equal 1 mile?
No. At the measured easy pace of 2,252 steps per mile, 5,000 steps is about 2.2 miles: 2.16 miles for a woman of average height and 2.30 for a man.
How many steps in 5 miles?
About 11,260 steps for an average adult at an easy pace: 11,550 for a woman of average height and 10,880 for a man. Running an 8 minute mile, 5 miles is 7,345 steps for a woman and 6,800 for a man.
How far is 10,000 steps in kilometers?
About 7.1 km at an easy walking pace: 6.97 km for a woman of average height and 7.40 km for a man.
Conclusion
Enter your height and pace for a personal figure, or measure your own step length for the best one. To turn steps into calories, use the steps to calories calculator, and for meals to go with your walks, see the TheSawad cookbooks.
General information, not medical advice.