Walking
How Long to Walk a Mile
Updated 6 Nov 2026 · Source: Bohannon and Andrews (2011) ↗
Enter your walking speed in mph and a distance. The calculator gives your total time and your pace per mile.
Worked example
- 1.0 mi ÷ 3.0 mph = 0.333 h = 20:00
Time to walk a mile by speed
| Speed | Per mile | 2 miles | 5K | 5 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mph | 30:00 | 1:00:00 | 1:33:12 | 2:30:00 |
| 2.5 mph | 24:00 | 0:48:00 | 1:14:34 | 2:00:00 |
| 3 mph | 20:00 | 0:40:00 | 1:02:08 | 1:40:00 |
| 3.5 mph | 17:09 | 0:34:17 | 0:53:16 | 1:25:43 |
| 4 mph | 15:00 | 0:30:00 | 0:46:36 | 1:15:00 |
| 4.5 mph | 13:20 | 0:26:40 | 0:41:25 | 1:06:40 |
The short answer: about 15 to 24 minutes
Time per mile is simple math: 60 divided by your speed in mph. At 2.5 mph a mile takes 24 minutes, at 3 mph it takes 20 minutes, and at 4 mph it takes 15 minutes.
So a relaxed walk of about 2.5 to 3 mph means roughly 20 to 24 minutes per mile. A brisk walk of 3 to 4 mph cuts that to roughly 15 to 20 minutes. A slow stroll of 2 mph takes a full half hour.
What a normal adult pace looks like
A 2011 meta-analysis of 41 studies found that healthy adults aged 20 to 69 walk at about 2.8 to 3.2 mph at their comfortable pace. That puts a typical mile at roughly 19 to 21.5 minutes.
Outdoors the picture is similar. A 2021 review of 35 studies reported an average usual pace of 1.31 m/s (about 20.5 minutes per mile) and an average fast pace of 1.72 m/s (about 15.6 minutes per mile). The average walking speed page has the full table by age and sex.
Why your mile may take longer than the chart
The chart assumes you hold one speed the whole way. Real walks include things that add minutes without changing how fast your legs move.
- Stops at crossings and lights, which a phone or watch may still count as walking time.
- Hills, sand, snow, gravel or crowded paths.
- A backpack, a stroller or a dog that sets its own pace.
- A slow first few minutes while you warm up.
How to time your own mile
The cleanest way is a standard 400-meter track. Four laps in lane 1 is 1,600 m, only about 9 m short of a mile, so four laps gives a very close mile time.
Walk at the pace you would use on a normal day, not a race pace, and start the timer as you cross the line. Repeat on another day: if the two times are within a minute, you have a good baseline to plan longer walks.
From one mile to a longer walk
Once you know your speed, the same math scales up. At 3 mph, 2 miles takes 40 minutes and a 5K (3.107 miles) takes about 1 hour 2 minutes. The chart lists 2 miles, 5K and 5 miles for each speed.
If you think in minutes per mile rather than mph, the walking pace calculator works from your pace instead. To see how many steps that mile takes, try the steps in a mile chart.
Related pages
Questions
Is a 20 minute mile good?
A 20-minute mile equals 3 mph, which is close to the normal pace of healthy adults in their 20s to 60s. Federal guidance treats walking at about 2.5 to 3 mph or faster as brisk.
How long does it take to walk 2 miles?
About 40 minutes at 3 mph, 48 minutes at 2.5 mph and 30 minutes at 4 mph.
How long to walk a mile at 3.5 mph?
About 17 minutes and 9 seconds. That speed is moderate intensity for most people, according to a CDC report.
Does a treadmill mile take the same time?
At the same belt speed, the math is the same. The treadmill pace chart converts belt speeds to minutes per mile.
How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.
gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.