The “10,000 steps” distance
How many steps is 5 miles?
5 miles is about 10,560 steps at a 30-inch step, and between 9,318 and 12,185 across common step lengths. Five miles is the distance behind the claim that 10,000 steps is five miles — a claim that holds only for a long step.
Based on your inputs
10,560
steps
- 8.05kilometres
- 30 instep length
5 mi ÷ 30 in per step, rounded to the nearest whole step.
Distance estimates depend on step length. A measured value improves the estimate.
5 miles × 63,360 in ÷ 30 in per step = 10,560 steps
| Step length | Steps | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| 24 in (61.0 cm) | 13,200 | 8.05 |
| 26 in (66.0 cm) | 12,185 | 8.05 |
| 28 in (71.1 cm) | 11,314 | 8.05 |
| 30 in (76.2 cm) | 10,560 | 8.05 |
| 32 in (81.3 cm) | 9,900 | 8.05 |
| 34 in (86.4 cm) | 9,318 | 8.05 |
Why 10,000 steps is called five miles
Five miles is 316,800 inches. Divide by 10,000 and you get 31.68 inches, the same step length that makes “2,000 steps per mile” work. At the 30-inch example used here, five miles is 10,560 steps, not 10,000 — and at a 26-inch step it is 12,185.
Read the other way round, 10,000 steps at a 30-inch step covers 4.73 miles rather than five. The gap is small but it compounds: over a week of 10,000-step days the rule overstates the distance by about two miles.
Five miles in practice
The distance is 8.05 km and takes about 1 h 40 min of walking at 3 mph, 2 h 00 min at 2.5 mph, or 1 h 26 min at 3.5 mph. For the site’s example walker it works out at roughly 492 kcal in total.
Five miles is also a common upper bound for a long lunchtime or evening walk, and it is a little under the 8 km distance of a 10K minus a couple of kilometres. The step-length calculator is worth a few minutes before you rely on any of these figures for your own route.
Other distances in steps
Nearby distances: 4 miles · 6 miles. The miles to steps calculator converts any distance, steps per mile explains the ratio itself, and the step length guide shows how to replace the 30-inch example with your own measurement.
A few useful answers
5 miles: questions, answered.
How many steps in 5 miles?
About 10,560 at a 30-inch step. The same figure answers “how many steps is 5 miles” and “5 miles in steps”: it is one division, 63,360 × 5 inches by your step length.
How many steps is 5 miles?
About 10,560 at a 30-inch step, or 9,318 to 12,185 across common step lengths.
Is 10,000 steps 5 miles?
Only with a step of 31.68 inches. At a 30-inch step, 10,000 steps is 4.73 miles, and five miles takes about 10,560 steps.
How long does it take to walk 5 miles?
About 1 h 40 min at 3 mph, 2 h 00 min at 2.5 mph, or 1 h 26 min at 3.5 mph.
How many calories does a 5-mile walk burn?
Roughly 492 kcal in total for a 70 kg walker at a moderate 3.8 MET. Enter your own weight and pace in the walking calorie calculator.