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Mile (mi) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:mi
Plural:miles
Category:Length

What is a Mile?

Definition

The mile, specifically the international statute mile, is a unit of length in the British imperial and United States customary systems. It is defined as exactly 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or approximately 1.609344 kilometers.

History

The mile originated from the Roman "mille passus", meaning "thousand paces" (where a pace was two steps). Its length varied considerably until Queen Elizabeth I of England standardized it as 5,280 feet in 1593. The international mile agreement of 1959 confirmed its definition based on the metric system.

Common Uses

  • Geography & Travel (US/UK): Measuring geographic distances and road lengths in the US, UK, and some other countries.
  • Transportation (US/UK): Road speed limits (miles per hour, mph) in the US and UK.
  • Maritime & Aviation: Nautical and aviation use a related unit, the nautical mile (approx. 1.852 km).
  • Athletics: Running events (e.g., the mile run).

Unit FAQs

How many feet are in a mile?

There are exactly 5,280 feet (ft) in 1 mile (mi).

How many yards are in a mile?

There are exactly 1,760 yards (yd) in 1 mile (mi).

Is a mile longer or shorter than a kilometer?

A mile (approx. 1.609 km) is longer than a kilometer (1 km).

Mile Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 mi = 1609.344 m
Example: 5 miles = 8046.72 meters

To Kilometer:

1 mi = 1.609344 km
Example: 5 miles = 8.04672 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 mi = 16.09344 hm
Example: 5 miles = 80.4672 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 mi = 16093.44 dm
Example: 5 miles = 80467.2 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 mi = 160934.4 cm
Example: 5 miles = 804672 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 mi = 1609344 mm
Example: 5 miles = 8046720 millimeters

To Inch:

1 mi = 63360 in
Example: 5 miles = 316800 inches

To Foot:

1 mi = 5280 ft
Example: 5 miles = 26400 feet

To Yard:

1 mi = 1760 yd
Example: 5 miles = 8800 yards

To Nautical Mile:

1 mi = 0.868976 NM
Example: 5 miles = 4.344881 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 mi = 1609344000 μm
Example: 5 miles = 8046720000.000001 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 mi = 1609344000000 nm
Example: 5 miles = 8046720000000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 mi = 1.7010e-13 ly
Example: 5 miles = 8.5051e-13 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 mi = 1.0758e-8 AU
Example: 5 miles = 5.3788e-8 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 mi = 5.2155e-14 pc
Example: 5 miles = 2.6077e-13 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 mi = 16093440000000 Å
Example: 5 miles = 80467200000000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 mi = 4561917.126351 pt
Example: 5 miles = 22809585.631757 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 mi = 63360000 mil
Example: 5 miles = 316800000 mils

To Fathom:

1 mi = 880 fath
Example: 5 miles = 4400 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 mi = 8 fur
Example: 5 miles = 40 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 mi = 8000 li
Example: 5 miles = 40000 links

To Pace:

1 mi = 2112 pace
Example: 5 miles = 10560 paces

To Span:

1 mi = 7040 span
Example: 5 miles = 35200 spans

To Digit:

1 mi = 84480 digit
Example: 5 miles = 422400 digits

To Cable Length:

1 mi = 8.689762 cb
Example: 5 miles = 43.448812 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 mi = 1408 ell
Example: 5 miles = 7040 ells

To Finger:

1 mi = 14080 finger
Example: 5 miles = 70400 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 mi = 1.087395 m.p.
Example: 5 miles = 5.436973 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 mi = 8.699157 stadion
Example: 5 miles = 43.495784 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 mi = 4828.514851 chi
Example: 5 miles = 24142.574257 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 mi = 5311.366337 shaku
Example: 5 miles = 26556.831683 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 mi = 3.218688 li
Example: 5 miles = 16.09344 li

To Toise:

1 mi = 825.728066 toise
Example: 5 miles = 4128.640328 toise

To Bolt:

1 mi = 52.8 bolt
Example: 5 miles = 264 bolts

To Rope:

1 mi = 264 rope
Example: 5 miles = 1320 ropes

To Smoot:

1 mi = 945.671642 smoot
Example: 5 miles = 4728.358209 smoots

To Sajene:

1 mi = 754.285714 sajene
Example: 5 miles = 3771.428571 sajenes

To Ken:

1 mi = 885.227723 ken
Example: 5 miles = 4426.138614 ken

To Wa:

1 mi = 804.672 wa
Example: 5 miles = 4023.36 wa

To Vara:

1 mi = 1920 vara
Example: 5 miles = 9600 varas

To Aln:

1 mi = 2709.333333 aln
Example: 5 miles = 13546.666667 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 mi = 3077.139579 cubit
Example: 5 miles = 15385.697897 cubits

To Versta:

1 mi = 1.508571 versta
Example: 5 miles = 7.542857 versts

To Arpent:

1 mi = 27.523798 arpent
Example: 5 miles = 137.618991 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 mi = 0.409815 ri
Example: 5 miles = 2.049076 ri

To Klafter:

1 mi = 848.586343 klafter
Example: 5 miles = 4242.931716 klafter

To Yojana:

1 mi = 0.119211 yojana
Example: 5 miles = 0.596053 yojanas

To Skein:

1 mi = 14.666667 skein
Example: 5 miles = 73.333333 skeins

Convert Mile

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Mile Quick Info

mi
Symbol:mi
Category:Length
System:Imperial/US Customary
Convert Mile

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