Mile (mi)

Definition

Exactly 1609.344 meters (5280 feet), the international mile.

History

The mile comes from the Roman mille passus, a thousand paces, and became the English statute mile of 5280 feet in 1593. Through the 1959 agreement it is exactly 1609.344 meters.

Where it is used

The mile is the main unit for road distances and speed limits in the United States and United Kingdom, and for running events like the mile and the marathon.

Typical uses include road distances in the US and UK, running.

Conversion pages

These pages convert mile to or from another unit in length.

• Mile to kilometer

Other Length units

• Meter (m)
• Centimeter (cm)
• Millimeter (mm)
• Kilometer (km)
• Foot (ft)
• Inch (in)
• Yard (yd)

Sources

• NIST HB 44 International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959); NIST Handbook 44, App. C · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026