For an average adult of about 5′8″ (173 cm), a mile of walking is about 2,251 steps and a kilometre about 1,398 steps. Your own number depends mostly on your height, because your step length is roughly 41% of it.
Steps in a mile by height
| Height | Steps per mile | Steps per km |
|---|---|---|
| 5'0" (152 cm) | 2,557 | 1,589 |
| 5'3" (160 cm) | 2,430 | 1,510 |
| 5'6" (168 cm) | 2,314 | 1,438 |
| 5'9" (175 cm) | 2,221 | 1,380 |
| 6'0" (183 cm) | 2,124 | 1,320 |
| 6'3" (191 cm) | 2,035 | 1,265 |
Why your number is different
- Height: longer legs mean longer steps, so fewer of them per mile.
- Pace: your stride stretches as you speed up, so a brisk mile takes fewer steps than a stroll.
- Ground: hills, crowds and rough paths shorten your steps.
Measure your own steps per mile in two minutes
- Find a distance you know, like one lap of a 400 m running track or a measured route in a maps app.
- Walk it at your normal pace and count your steps (or read them off your phone).
- For a track lap, multiply your count by 4 for steps per 1.6 km, roughly one mile.
Want the miles, km and calories for a whole day? Use the steps converter, or jump to 10,000 steps.
