How Long Is a Mile?

A mile is 5,280 feet, which is the same as 1,760 yards or about 1.609 kilometers.

A mile in different units:

• 5,280 feet
• 1,760 yards
• 1.609 kilometers (1,609 meters)
• 63,360 inches

How long does it take to cover a mile?

• Walking: about 15–22 minutes at a normal pace (roughly a 3–4 mph walk).
• Running: about 8–12 minutes for an average runner; elite runners can run a mile in under 4 minutes.
• Driving: less than a minute on a highway.

Mile vs. kilometer: A mile is longer than a kilometer — 1 mile ≈ 1.6 km. Put another way, 1 km ≈ 0.62 miles. So if you run 5 km, that's about 3.1 miles.

Why 5,280 feet? It comes from old English units: a mile was defined as 8 furlongs, and a furlong is 660 feet — and 8 × 660 = 5,280.

Other "miles": The standard above is the statute (land) mile. A nautical mile, used in sea and air navigation, is different and slightly longer — about 1.852 kilometers (6,076 feet).