How Many Steps Are in a Mile?
An average adult takes about 2,000 to 2,400 steps to walk one mile. The exact number depends on your height and stride: with a 0.762 m walking step it is around 2,112 steps, and with a shorter 0.67 m step it is closer to 2,402 steps. Running a mile takes fewer steps — roughly 1,400 to 1,700 — because each stride is longer.
Steps per Mile by Height
Because taller people have longer strides, they take fewer steps to cover a mile. The table below shows the walking distance for one mile's worth of steps at several heights.
| Height (cm) | Step length (m) | Distance (km) | Distance (mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 | 0.643 | 1.36 | 0.84 |
| 165 | 0.685 | 1.45 | 0.90 |
| 175 | 0.726 | 1.53 | 0.95 |
| 185 | 0.768 | 1.62 | 1.01 |
| 195 | 0.809 | 1.71 | 1.06 |
Why It Varies
Step length is roughly 41.5% of your height when walking, and it grows with speed. That is why the same one-mile distance can be anywhere from about 1,400 running steps to 2,500 walking steps for a shorter person. Enter your own step count above and switch to miles to see your personal figure.