How Long Does It Take to Walk 1.5 Miles?

Walking Time for 1.5 Miles at Different Paces

One and a half miles is a convenient distance — it's the amount most people cover in a standard 30-minute walk. Here are the exact times at six pace levels, derived from the Compendium of Physical Activities and CDC walking pace guidelines.

The clean 30-minute mark at moderate pace is what makes 1.5 miles so practical. It's the distance that health professionals are actually talking about when they suggest "a 30-minute walk."

The CDC defines moderate-intensity walking as 2.5–4.0 mph. At any pace in that range, 1.5 miles takes between 22 and 36 minutes — easily slotted into a lunch break, morning routine, or evening wind-down.

How Long to Walk 1.5 Miles by Age

Over 1.5 miles, age-based speed differences translate to modest but noticeable time gaps. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011), published in Physiotherapy and covering 23,111 participants:

Key takeaways:

• Under 30 minutes: Men aged 20–59 and women aged 40–49 all finish 1.5 miles in under 30 minutes at their natural comfortable pace.
• The 30-minute neighborhood: Most healthy adults fall within 28–36 minutes for this distance, making it universally suitable as a "half-hour walk."
• Senior accessibility: Even adults over 80 complete 1.5 miles in under 43 minutes. For the 60–79 age range, it's a comfortable 30–36 minute walk — well within an easy daily routine.

5 Real-World Examples

1. The 30-Minute Health Prescription

Wendy, 53, was told by her doctor to start walking 30 minutes a day. At her natural pace of 2.93 mph (Bohannon data, women aged 50–59), 30 minutes of walking covers almost exactly 1.5 miles. She maps a 0.75-mile out-and-back route from her front door and walks it every morning before work.

Each walk burns approximately 80 calories at 150 lbs (150 × 0.53 × 1.5) and adds about 3,378 steps (2,252 × 1.5) to her daily count. Five walks per week give her 150 minutes of moderate activity — hitting the CDC's weekly recommendation precisely.

2. The Parking Lot Optimizer

Ryan, 29, parks in a free lot 1.5 miles from his downtown office instead of paying $18/day for the garage next door. At a brisk 3.5 mph commuter pace, each leg takes 25 minutes 43 seconds. His round-trip walk totals 3 miles and about 51 minutes of walking per day.

He saves $90 per week on parking while burning approximately 159 calories per day on the round trip (150 lbs × 0.53 × 3 miles). Over a year, that's $4,680 saved and roughly 41,000 calories burned — the equivalent of about 12 pounds of body weight in energy expenditure.

3. The New Mom's Loop

Jasmine, 31, walks a 1.5-mile loop pushing her infant in a stroller every afternoon. The stroller and stops to adjust blankets slow her pace to about 2.5 mph — below her natural 3.0 mph (Bohannon data, women aged 30–39). Her loop takes roughly 36 minutes.

The walk serves double duty: exercise for Jasmine and fresh air for the baby. At 160 lbs, she burns about 127 calories (160 × 0.53 × 1.5), and the daily routine gets her to 5,280 steps (including the stroller-pushing distance) before counting any other movement.

4. The High School Student's Walk Home

Marcus, 17, walks 1.5 miles from school to his house every afternoon. At a moderate 3.0 mph teen pace, the walk takes exactly 30 minutes — he leaves school at 3:15 PM and arrives home by 3:45. He often walks with friends, which slows the group pace slightly to about 2.7 mph, stretching the walk to about 33 minutes.

The daily walk adds 3,378 steps on solo days. Round-trip (if he walks to school too), that's 3 miles and 6,756 steps — far more than the average American's daily 3,000–4,000 steps (CDC data).

5. The Lunchtime Walker

Debra, 60, walks 1.5 miles during her lunch hour at work. At her natural pace of 2.77 mph (Bohannon data, women aged 60–69), the walk takes about 32 minutes 29 seconds, leaving her time to eat at her desk afterward within a 60-minute break.

A study cited on Healthline found that people who walk 30–45 minutes per day during flu season take 43% fewer sick days. Debra's daily lunch walk qualifies, and at 170 lbs, she also burns about 135 calories per session (170 × 0.53 × 1.5).

What Affects Your 1.5-Mile Walking Time?

At 1.5 miles, you're in the sweet spot where pace matters most and external factors have moderate influence.

Pace choice makes the biggest difference. The gap between a leisurely 2.0 mph walk (45 minutes) and a brisk 3.5 mph walk (25:43) is nearly 20 minutes. For a distance this short, walking a little faster has a disproportionate time payoff.

Traffic signals and crosswalks can add 2–5 minutes to a 1.5-mile urban walk. Two red lights at 90 seconds each adds 3 minutes — a 10% increase on a 30-minute walk. If time matters, choose routes with fewer crossings.

Walking with others usually slows you down. Bohannon & Andrews (2011) documented speed gaps of up to 0.30 mph between men and women in the same age group. Walking with a partner, child, or pet typically settles at the slower person's pace.

Terrain has a modest effect at this distance. The Compendium of Physical Activities rates flat walking at MET 3.5 but uphill walking at 1–5% grade at MET 5.3. A hilly 1.5-mile route might add 3–5 minutes compared to flat ground.

1.5 Miles in Steps and Calories

Steps

At a moderate 3.0 mph pace, 1.5 miles equals approximately 3,378 steps, based on the ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) figure of ~2,252 steps per mile. By height:

The average American walks only 3,000–4,000 steps per day (CDC data). A single 1.5-mile walk nearly matches that entire baseline, effectively doubling a sedentary person's step count.

Calories Burned

Using the Compendium formula (body weight in lbs × 0.53 per mile × 1.5 miles):

These figures use a MET of 3.5 for moderate-pace walking on flat ground. The CDC states a 154-lb person burns about 280 calories per hour of moderate walking, which works out to 140 calories over a 30-minute, 1.5-mile session — consistent with these per-mile estimates.

Tips for Walking 1.5 Miles

One and a half miles is the distance that aligns perfectly with the most common health advice: "walk 30 minutes a day." Here's how to make it work.

Anchor it to a daily trigger. Walk 1.5 miles right after your morning coffee, during your lunch break, or right after dinner. Attaching the walk to an existing habit makes it automatic.

Use it as your baseline. Once 1.5 miles feels easy at moderate pace, you have two upgrade paths — walk faster (brisk pace cuts the time to under 26 minutes) or walk farther (add half a mile every week until you reach 3 miles).

Map your 1.5-mile radius. Everything within 1.5 miles of your home is a 30-minute walk away. You might be surprised how many useful destinations — grocery stores, coffee shops, parks, friends' houses — fall within this circle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk 1.5 miles on a treadmill?

At 3.0 mph, a treadmill walk of 1.5 miles takes exactly 30 minutes. At 3.5 mph, 25 minutes 43 seconds; at 4.0 mph, 22 minutes 30 seconds.

Treadmill walking is the most reliable way to know you've walked exactly 1.5 miles, since the display tracks distance precisely. Setting the incline to 1% approximates outdoor energy expenditure.

Is walking 1.5 miles a day enough exercise?

A daily 1.5-mile walk at moderate pace provides 210 minutes of activity per week — exceeding the CDC's recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2018). At roughly 3,378 steps per walk, a daily 1.5-mile habit also contributes significantly toward the 8,000-step daily threshold linked to 51% lower mortality risk in a CDC-cited study.

For most adults, 1.5 miles per day is more than "enough" — it's a solid foundation. Adding variety in pace or distance over time builds additional fitness.

How many steps is 1.5 miles?

One and a half miles equals approximately 3,378 steps at a moderate 3.0 mph pace, based on ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) data of ~2,252 steps per mile. At a brisk 4.0 mph, the count drops to about 2,903 steps (1,935 per mile) due to longer stride length.

By height, the range runs from about 2,978 steps (6'4") to 3,771 steps (5'0"). At the brisk walking benchmark of 100 steps per minute (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018), 1.5 miles takes roughly 30–38 minutes depending on pace.

How long would it take a senior to walk 1.5 miles?

For adults aged 60–69, Bohannon & Andrews (2011) found comfortable speeds of 3.00 mph (men) and 2.77 mph (women), translating to 1.5-mile times of 30 minutes for men and about 32 minutes 29 seconds for women. For adults aged 70–79, it's approximately 31 minutes 55 seconds (men) and 35 minutes 34 seconds (women).

Adults over 80 typically complete 1.5 miles in 41–43 minutes. At every age, this distance remains a comfortable single-session walk with no rest stops needed.

How does walking 1.5 miles compare to running it?

A beginner runner at a 12:00 min/mile pace covers 1.5 miles in 18 minutes — 12 minutes faster than a moderate walker. An average runner at 10:00 min/mile finishes in 15 minutes.

The calorie comparison: walking 1.5 miles burns about 119 calories for a 150-lb person (body weight × 0.53 × 1.5), while running burns about 169 calories (body weight × 0.75 × 1.5). Running saves 15 minutes but walking provides the same cardiovascular benefit at lower joint stress.

Related Pages

• How Long to Walk 1 Mile — slightly shorter distance
• How Long to Walk 2 Miles — the next common milestone
• How Far Can I Walk in 30 Minutes? — 1.5 miles is exactly what you cover
• How Far Can I Walk in 20 Minutes? — a shorter time window
• How Long to Run 1.5 Miles — running comparison
• Walking Time Calculator — calculate any distance

Sources Cited

1. Bohannon, R.W. & Andrews, A.W. (2011). "Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis." Physiotherapy, 97(3), 182–189. PubMed: 21820535
2. Bohannon, R.W. (1997). "Comfortable and maximum walking speed of adults aged 20–79 years." Age and Ageing, 26(1), 15–19. Oxford Academic
3. CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018). health.gov
4. Compendium of Physical Activities — MET values. compendiumofphysicalactivities.com
5. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008). Step counts per mile at various speeds.
6. British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018). Brisk walking defined as ~100 steps per minute.