Kilometers to miles: distance converter
A kilometre is 0.6214 miles and a mile is exactly 1.609344 km. Convert kilometres, miles, metres, feet, yards, inches and nautical miles instantly.
A mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometres, and a kilometre is 0.6214 miles. Use the converter above to turn any distance into miles, kilometres, metres, feet, yards, inches, centimetres or nautical miles — and back again. If you would rather see how far that distance reaches, the distances tool draws it to scale as a circle on a real map.
Wondering where these awkward numbers come from? The mile's 1,609.344 metres and the kilometre's round 1,000 are two opposite ways of measuring the world: we tell the story in the distance units and where they came from.
Conversion table: how much is one mile?
| 1 mile equals | Unit |
|---|---|
| 1.6093 km | kilometres |
| 1,609.344 m | metres |
| 0.869 nmi | nautical miles |
| 1,760 yd | yards |
| 5,280 ft | feet |
| 63,360 in | inches |
| 160,934 cm | centimetres |
Kilometers to miles table
The most-searched conversions, already worked out. Click any distance to see it drawn on the map:
| Kilometres | Miles | Nautical miles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 0.6214 | 0.54 |
| 5 km | 3.1069 | 2.6998 |
| 10 km | 6.2137 | 5.3996 |
| 21.0975 km (half marathon) | 13.1094 | 11.3918 |
| 42.195 km (marathon) | 26.2188 | 22.7834 |
| 100 km | 62.1371 | 53.9957 |
| 1,000 km | 621.3712 | 539.9568 |
Miles to kilometers table
| Miles | Kilometres | Metres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mile | 1.6093 | 1,609.344 |
| 3.1 miles (5K) | 4.989 | 4,989 |
| 5 miles | 8.0467 | 8,046.7 |
| 10 miles | 16.0934 | 16,093.4 |
| 26.2 miles (marathon) | 42.1648 | 42,164.8 |
| 100 miles | 160.9344 | 160,934.4 |
How to convert kilometers to miles in your head
Multiplying by 0.6 leaves you within 3% of the real value, which is plenty for most conversations. But there is a better trick, and it is a lovely mathematical coincidence: because the ratio between the mile and the kilometre (1.609) is so close to the golden ratio (1.618), the Fibonacci sequence converts kilometres to miles almost perfectly. Each number in the sequence, in kilometres, is roughly the previous one in miles:
| Fibonacci | Real conversion | Error |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km ≈ 3 miles | 3.1069 | 3.4% |
| 8 km ≈ 5 miles | 4.971 | 0.6% |
| 13 km ≈ 8 miles | 8.0778 | 1.0% |
| 21 km ≈ 13 miles | 13.0488 | 0.4% |
| 34 km ≈ 21 miles | 21.1266 | 0.6% |
Speeds: mph to km/h
The conversion is the same one (× 1.609344), and it is the one you need when the rental car abroad shows kilometres per hour:
| Miles per hour | km/h |
|---|---|
| 30 mph | 48.3 km/h |
| 50 mph | 80.5 km/h |
| 60 mph | 96.6 km/h |
| 70 mph | 112.7 km/h |
And the other way round: 50 km/h is 31.1 mph, 100 km/h is 62.1 mph and 120 km/h is 74.6 mph.
Example conversions
Click any of these and you will see it worked out above:
- 1 kilometre in miles and feet
- 26.2 miles (a marathon) in kilometres
- 6 feet in metres and centimetres
- 100 yards in metres
- 1 nautical mile in miles and kilometres
Articles about distances
Frequently asked questions about kilometers and miles
- How many kilometres are in a mile?
- A statute mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometres, that is, 1,609.344 metres. The figure is exact by definition since the International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959.
- How many miles are in a kilometre?
- A kilometre is 0.6214 miles, a little under two thirds of a mile. To do it in your head, multiply the kilometres by 0.6: 100 km is about 62 miles.
- How do you convert kilometres to miles in your head?
- Multiply by 0.6 and you land within 3% of the real value. The neater trick is the Fibonacci sequence: 5 km is 3 miles, 8 km is 5 miles, 13 km is 8 miles and 21 km is 13 miles, all within 1% of the truth.
- How fast is 60 mph in km/h?
- 60 miles per hour is 96.6 km/h. The other way round, 100 km/h is 62.1 mph and 120 km/h is 74.6 mph.
- Is a nautical mile the same as a mile?
- No. A statute mile is 1,609.344 metres and a nautical mile is exactly 1,852 metres: the nautical one is 15% longer. It is one minute of arc of a meridian and it is used at sea and in the air.
- How many metres are in a foot and in a yard?
- A foot is exactly 0.3048 metres (30.48 cm) and a yard is three feet: 0.9144 metres. An inch is exactly 2.54 cm. All three have been exact by definition since 1959.
Want to see a distance rather than just convert it? Try the distances tool, which draws any distance to scale as a circle on a real map, or measure a distance yourself point by point. There are also tools for areas, liters and kilos, plus an area converter. And if what you want is to know why these two units refuse to line up, read the origin of the metre, what is a mile and where the foot comes from: one came from measuring the planet, the other two from counting paces.