Steps to kilometres calculator

From footfalls to kilometres

The calculation begins with a simple multiplication: your steps multiplied by the distance of one step. When step length is entered in centimetres, divide that total by 100,000 to express the answer in kilometres. There are exactly 100 centimetres in a metre and 1,000 metres in a kilometre.

Using the illustrative step length of 76.2 centimetres, equivalent to 30 inches, 10,000 steps cover 7.62 kilometres. That result describes those particular inputs. It should not be treated as the distance every person travels when a tracker reaches 10,000.

Match the measurement to the walk

Use the length of a single step, not a full two-step stride. If you have measured the distance between two successive right-foot landings, divide that stride length by two to estimate a step length. A more useful method is to count all footfalls over a known route and divide its distance by the count.

Walking pace, gradients, tight corners, and surface conditions can change the way you step. For a rough daily distance, one personal measurement may be sufficient. For a specific route or session, measure at a similar pace and in similar conditions.

Make a kilometre count useful

Compare the estimated distance with a route you can recognise, such as a park loop or the journey to a station. The reverse kilometres-to-steps calculator can help you plan a route before you leave. Treat walking time separately: the same distance takes different amounts of time at different speeds, and stops add to the elapsed time.