How Many Steps Are in a Mile?
On the basis that a person of average height has a step length of between 2.1 to 2.5 feet, walking a mile at a moderate pace of around 3 mph will take approximately 2,250 steps. This means that 10,000 steps convert to around 4.5 miles of walking, with an average step length.
If you increase your speed from 3 mph to a brisk walking pace of 4 mph, the number of steps taken to cover a mile will decrease to approximately 2,000 steps because of the longer stride length.
You can use our calculator to work out how many steps you take to walk or run a mile based upon your biological sex, height and walking or running speed.
Steps in a mile calculator
Steps in a mile for walking and running speeds
We've used data from a 2008 study published in the Health & Fitness Journal to put together some step-to-mile approximations for different walking/running speeds. We discuss the study in more depth in our article below. 1
| Speed of walk/run | Number of steps |
|---|---|
| Average walk (20 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 2,252 steps |
| Brisk walk (15 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 1,935 steps |
| Jog (12 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 1,951 steps |
| Run (10 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 1,672 steps |
| Fast run (8 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 1,400 steps |
| Very fast run (6 mins/mile) | 1 mile = 1,080 steps |
Remember that these figures are averages based on study participants as a whole. Our calculator (at the top of the page) works out mile figures based upon height and gender, giving a more accurate guideline figure.
Quick scroll to charts:What factors affect the number of steps taken to walk a mile?
- A person of average height and weight walking at a regular speed of around 3 mph will take approximately 2,250 steps to walk a mile. This is, however, an approximation, and the figure for your walk will depend upon factors such as your gender, height, weight, state of health, walking pace and walk incline.
- A pace of 3 mph is regarded as a moderate walking speed, meaning that you take about 20 minutes to walk a mile.
- If you increase your speed from 3 mph to a brisk walking pace of 4 mph, the number of steps you will take to complete a mile will decrease to around 2,000 steps, due to the increase in step length.
Steps-per-mile study data
The 2008 study published in the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal involved 44 participants, with all 44 tested at walking speeds and 34 tested at running speeds. Pedometers were used in all tests.The study found that the average number of steps taken to walk or run a mile ranged from 1,001 steps for a 6-minute-mile running pace to 2,197 steps for a 20-minute-mile walking pace for a man of 5ft 10 inches.
For a woman of average height (5ft 4 inches), the number of steps in a mile ranged from 1,082 steps for a 6-minute-mile running pace to 2,315 steps for a 20-minute-mile walking pace.
In the study, researchers sought to determine the number of steps men and women took to walk one mile at both 20 and 15-minute pace and compare them to those running one mile at 12, 10, 8 and 6-minute pace. All of the participants were of 'normal weight'. 1
Interestingly, individuals took more steps while jogging a 12-minute mile than walking a 15-minute mile (1,951 against 1,935 steps, respectively). The researchers suggested that this was likely to be related to the smaller distance between steps that people take when jogging at a slower speed (12-minute miles) compared to walking at a 15-minute-per-mile pace.
Step counters are proving helpful in motivating inactive people to increase their activity levels by about 2,500 steps per day. 2
If you want to get a better idea of the number of steps you take to walk or run a mile, it is important to consider your own, individual step length. The step of a 7ft tall runner will be longer than that of a 4ft person of shorter stature enjoying a casual walk. So, let's next break the figures down further into walkers and runners of different heights for men and women.
Walking steps in a mile for women
Here are some approximations for walking steps-per-mile for women of different heights, using the data and formulae from the 2008 Health & Fitness Journal study. 1
| Height | Slow walk (2mph) | Average walk (3mph) | Brisk walk (4mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4' 10" | 3,033 steps | 2,399 steps | 2,082 steps |
| 4' 11" | 3,019 steps | 2,385 steps | 2,068 steps |
| 5' 0" | 3,005 steps | 2,371 steps | 2,054 steps |
| 5' 1" | 2,991 steps | 2,357 steps | 2,040 steps |
| 5' 2" | 2,977 steps | 2,343 steps | 2,026 steps |
| 5' 3" | 2,963 steps | 2,329 steps | 2,012 steps |
| 5' 4" | 2,949 steps | 2,315 steps | 1,998 steps |
| 5' 5" | 2,935 steps | 2,301 steps | 1,984 steps |
| 5' 6" | 2,920 steps | 2,286 steps | 1,969 steps |
| 5' 7" | 2,906 steps | 2,272 steps | 1,955 steps |
| 5' 8" | 2,892 steps | 2,258 steps | 1,941 steps |
| 5' 9" | 2,878 steps | 2,244 steps | 1,927 steps |
| 5' 10" | 2,864 steps | 2,230 steps | 1,913 steps |
| 5' 11" | 2,850 steps | 2,216 steps | 1,899 steps |
| 6' 0" | 2,836 steps | 2,202 steps | 1,885 steps |
| 6' 1" | 2,822 steps | 2,188 steps | 1,871 steps |
| 6' 2" | 2,808 steps | 2,174 steps | 1,857 steps |
Walking steps in a mile for men
Here are some approximations for walking steps-per-mile for men of different heights.
| Height | Slow walk (2mph) | Average walk (3mph) | Brisk walk (4mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5' 0" | 2,972 steps | 2,338 steps | 2,021 steps |
| 5' 1" | 2,958 steps | 2,324 steps | 2,007 steps |
| 5' 2" | 2,944 steps | 2,310 steps | 1,993 steps |
| 5' 3" | 2,930 steps | 2,296 steps | 1,979 steps |
| 5' 4" | 2,916 steps | 2,282 steps | 1,965 steps |
| 5' 5" | 2,902 steps | 2,268 steps | 1,951 steps |
| 5' 6" | 2,887 steps | 2,253 steps | 1,936 steps |
| 5' 7" | 2,873 steps | 2,239 steps | 1,922 steps |
| 5' 8" | 2,859 steps | 2,225 steps | 1,908 steps |
| 5' 9" | 2,845 steps | 2,211 steps | 1,894 steps |
| 5' 10" | 2,831 steps | 2,197 steps | 1,880 steps |
| 5' 11" | 2,817 steps | 2,183 steps | 1,866 steps |
| 6' 0" | 2,803 steps | 2,169 steps | 1,852 steps |
| 6' 1" | 2,789 steps | 2,155 steps | 1,838 steps |
| 6' 2" | 2,775 steps | 2,141 steps | 1,824 steps |
| 6' 3" | 2,761 steps | 2,127 steps | 1,810 steps |
| 6' 4" | 2,746 steps | 2,112 steps | 1,795 steps |
Running steps in a mile for both men and women
Finally, here are some approximations for running steps-per-mile figures for both men and women.
| Height | 12mins/mile | 10mins/mile | 8mins/mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5' 0" | 1,997 steps | 1,710 steps | 1,423 steps |
| 5' 1" | 1,984 steps | 1,697 steps | 1,409 steps |
| 5' 2" | 1,970 steps | 1,683 steps | 1,396 steps |
| 5' 3" | 1,957 steps | 1,670 steps | 1,382 steps |
| 5' 4" | 1,943 steps | 1,656 steps | 1,369 steps |
| 5' 5" | 1,930 steps | 1,643 steps | 1,355 steps |
| 5' 6" | 1,916 steps | 1,629 steps | 1,342 steps |
| 5' 7" | 1,903 steps | 1,616 steps | 1,328 steps |
| 5' 8" | 1,889 steps | 1,602 steps | 1,315 steps |
| 5' 9" | 1,876 steps | 1,589 steps | 1,301 steps |
| 5' 10" | 1,862 steps | 1,575 steps | 1,288 steps |
| 5' 11" | 1,849 steps | 1,562 steps | 1,274 steps |
| 6' 0" | 1,835 steps | 1,548 steps | 1,261 steps |
| 6' 1" | 1,822 steps | 1,535 steps | 1,247 steps |
| 6' 2" | 1,808 steps | 1,521 steps | 1,234 steps |
| 6' 3" | 1,795 steps | 1,508 steps | 1,220 steps |
| 6' 4" | 1,781 steps | 1,494 steps | 1,207 steps |
It's worth noting that people who exercise at higher intensities tend to take fewer steps and cover a given distance in less time. They may also see more significant health benefits than those who exercise at lower intensities. 3
Of course, you should always seek advice from a qualified health professional before making any significant changes to your lifestyle or fitness regime.
I hope this article has helped you work out how many steps you take to walk or run a mile. If you want to see what distance you've covered for a number of steps, check out the Steps to Miles Calculator.
References:
- One-mile step count at walking and running speeds. American College of Sports Medicine.
- Step counting: a review of health-related applications. Sports Medicine.
- For the best health, does the intensity of your workout matter?. American Heart Association News.
If you have any problems using our calculator tool, please contact us.