How Long Does It Take to Walk 1 Mile?

Walking Time for 1 Mile at Different Paces

The table below shows exactly how long it takes to walk 1 mile at six standard pace levels, ranging from a casual stroll to athletic race walking. All times are derived from the Compendium of Physical Activities and CDC walking pace guidelines.

The CDC defines moderate-intensity walking as 2.5–4.0 mph. Most healthy adults naturally walk somewhere between the "Easy" and "Brisk" categories, meaning your 1-mile time likely falls between 17 and 24 minutes.

For reference, competitive walkers can walk a mile in roughly 11 minutes, and the men's world record for the fastest mile walked is 5:31.08, set by Tom Bosworth in 2017 (World Athletics).

How Long to Walk 1 Mile by Age

Your age has a measurable effect on walking speed. According to the meta-analysis by Bohannon & Andrews (2011), published in Physiotherapy and covering 23,111 participants, walking speed peaks in the 40–49 age range and begins declining after age 60.

Key takeaways from this data:

• Fastest group: Men aged 30–59 walk a mile in about 18 minutes and 45 seconds at their natural comfortable pace (1.43 m/s).
• Women's peak: Women aged 40–49 are the fastest female walkers, covering a mile in about 19 minutes and 17 seconds (1.39 m/s).
• Age-related slowing: By age 80+, comfortable walking speed drops by roughly 30%, adding 8–10 minutes to a 1-mile walk compared to middle-aged adults.
• Walking speed has been called "the sixth vital sign" by geriatric researchers Fritz & Lusardi (2009) in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, because it correlates so strongly with overall health outcomes.

5 Real-World Examples

1. The Morning Commuter

Sarah is 35 years old and walks from her apartment to the subway station every morning — exactly 1 mile. Walking at a brisk 3.5 mph pace (typical for someone with a purpose and a train to catch), she covers the distance in 17 minutes and 8 seconds. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011), women aged 30–39 naturally walk at about 3.00 mph, but Sarah's commuter urgency pushes her pace slightly above average.

She leaves her apartment at 7:40 AM and reaches the platform by 7:57 AM, with 3 minutes to spare before her 8:00 train.

2. The Retiree's Daily Loop

Frank is 72 and walks a 1-mile loop around his neighborhood every morning for exercise. Based on Bohannon data for men aged 70–79, his comfortable walking speed is about 2.82 mph, meaning his daily mile takes roughly 21 minutes and 17 seconds. This puts Frank right on track for the CDC's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week — his seven daily walks total about 149 minutes.

According to a CDC-cited study, adults who walk 8,000 steps per day have a 51% lower mortality risk compared to those walking only 4,000 steps.

3. The Lunch Break Fitness Walker

Marcus is 42, weighs 180 lbs, and uses his lunch break to walk a 1-mile route through downtown at a fast 4.0 mph pace. At this speed, he finishes his mile in exactly 15 minutes, giving him time to grab lunch and return to his desk within a 45-minute break. Based on the Compendium of Physical Activities (MET value of 5.0 for walking at 4.0 mph) and his body weight, Marcus burns approximately 100 calories during this single mile.

That's five miles and 500 calories over a work week — achieved entirely during time he would have otherwise spent sitting.

4. The New Walker

Priya, 28, has just started a walking routine after years of being sedentary. On her first day, she walks at a leisurely 2.0 mph pace, taking a full 30 minutes to cover 1 mile. This feels comfortable — she can breathe easily and enjoy a podcast.

Over the next few weeks, as her fitness improves, she gradually increases to a moderate 3.0 mph, cutting her time down to 20 minutes. That 10-minute improvement represents a 33% speed increase and moves her squarely into the CDC's moderate-intensity exercise zone (2.5–4.0 mph).

5. The Parent with a Stroller

David, 38, walks his toddler to the park, pushing a stroller along neighborhood sidewalks. Between the added resistance of the stroller, stopping at crosswalks, and his daughter's requests to look at every dog they pass, his effective pace drops to about 2.0 mph. His 1-mile walk to the park takes roughly 30 minutes.

On the return trip, with his daughter asleep in the stroller and no stops, he speeds up to about 2.5 mph and makes it home in 24 minutes. Combined, his round trip covers 2 miles in 54 minutes — and counts toward the CDC's 150-minute weekly activity target.

What Affects Your 1-Mile Walking Time?

Several factors beyond pace influence how long it actually takes you to walk a mile.

Age is the most well-documented variable. Bohannon & Andrews (2011) found that comfortable walking speed declines by approximately 1.2 minutes per kilometer after age 60 compared to age 20, which translates to roughly 2 extra minutes per mile for older adults.

Terrain and elevation significantly alter your effort and speed. The Compendium of Physical Activities assigns a MET value of 3.5 for walking on a flat surface at moderate pace, but that jumps to 5.3 for the same speed on a 1–5% incline and 8.0 for a 6–15% grade.

Walking a hilly mile can take 25–50% longer than walking on flat ground.

Fitness level matters independently of age. The Bohannon (1997) study of 230 healthy volunteers found that maximum walking speed ranged from 174.9 cm/s in women in their 70s to 253.3 cm/s in men in their 20s — a 45% difference that reflects both age and conditioning.

Weather, footwear, and surface type also play roles. Walking on sand, gravel, or snow slows most people by 10–30% compared to pavement. Hot or cold extremes tend to reduce comfortable pace as well.

1 Mile in Steps and Calories

Steps

At an average walking pace of 3.0 mph, 1 mile equals approximately 2,252 steps, according to data from the ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008). Your actual step count varies by height and stride length:

At a brisk 4.0 mph pace, steps per mile drops to about 1,935 because your stride lengthens with speed.

Fun fact: the word "mile" comes from the Latin mille passus, meaning "a thousand paces" — where a pace was two steps. So 2,000 steps per mile is remarkably close to the original Roman measurement.

Calories Burned

Calories burned walking 1 mile depend primarily on your body weight. Using the quick formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (body weight in lbs × 0.53):

These estimates use a MET value of 3.5 for moderate-pace walking on flat ground (Compendium of Physical Activities). Walking faster increases the MET value — brisk walking at 3.5 mph carries a MET of 4.3, and walking at 4.0 mph reaches 5.0.

This means you burn more calories per minute at higher speeds, though the per-mile difference is smaller than most people expect.

For comparison, the CDC states that a 154-lb person burns approximately 280 calories per hour walking at a moderate pace, which works out to about 93 calories per mile at 3.0 mph.

Tips for Walking 1 Mile

One mile is the ideal starting distance for new walkers. It's short enough to complete without special preparation but long enough to deliver real cardiovascular benefit, especially at a brisk pace.

If you're just starting out, don't worry about pace. Walk at whatever speed feels comfortable and focus on completing the full mile without stopping. A leisurely 30-minute mile still counts as moderate-intensity exercise if you're breathing a bit harder than normal.

For regular walkers looking to improve, try timing your mile and aiming to shave 30 seconds off each week. Moving from a 24-minute mile to a 20-minute mile is an achievable 4-week goal that shifts you from "easy" to "moderate" pace territory.

Make it a daily habit. Walking 1 mile per day at a moderate pace takes just 20 minutes and accumulates 140 minutes of activity per week — nearly meeting the CDC's recommended 150 minutes. Add a slightly longer walk on weekends and you'll exceed the guideline comfortably.

Track your steps. At roughly 2,252 steps per mile, a daily 1-mile walk puts you at about 2,250 steps before you count anything else in your day. The average American walks only 3,000–4,000 steps per day (CDC data), so a single dedicated mile walk represents a significant boost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk 1 mile on a treadmill?

Walking 1 mile on a treadmill takes almost exactly the same time as walking outdoors at the same speed — set the treadmill to 3.0 mph and you'll finish in 20 minutes, set it to 3.5 mph and you'll finish in about 17 minutes. Treadmill times are actually more predictable than outdoor times because you eliminate variables like wind resistance, terrain changes, and traffic stops. Many people find they walk slightly faster on a treadmill because the belt's constant motion encourages a steadier pace.

If you want to simulate outdoor conditions more closely, set the incline to 1%, which most exercise physiologists recommend to approximate the energy cost of outdoor walking.

Is walking 1 mile a day good exercise?

Yes — walking 1 mile a day is a meaningful amount of exercise, especially if you're currently inactive. At a moderate pace (3.0 mph), a daily 1-mile walk takes 20 minutes and totals 140 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, which is 93% of the CDC's recommended 150 minutes per week (CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, 2018).

The health returns are substantial: a CDC-cited study found that adults who walk at least 8,000 steps per day — which a 1-mile walk meaningfully contributes to — had a 51% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those averaging only 4,000 steps. For someone just beginning an exercise routine, 1 mile per day is an excellent foundation.

How many steps is 1 mile?

One mile of walking equals approximately 2,252 steps at a moderate 3.0 mph pace, based on data from the ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008). This number varies based on your height and speed: shorter individuals (5'0") take about 2,514 steps per mile, while taller individuals (6'4") take about 1,985 steps.

At a brisk 4.0 mph pace, most people take about 1,935 steps per mile because stride length increases with speed. The general rule of thumb is 2,000–2,500 steps per mile for walking.

How long would it take a senior to walk 1 mile?

For adults aged 60–69, Bohannon & Andrews (2011) found average comfortable walking speeds of 3.00 mph for men and 2.77 mph for women, translating to a 1-mile time of 20 minutes for men and about 21 minutes 40 seconds for women. For adults aged 70–79, speeds drop to 2.82 mph (men) and 2.53 mph (women), meaning a mile takes about 21 minutes 17 seconds and 23 minutes 43 seconds, respectively.

Adults over 80 typically walk at 2.10–2.17 mph, which means a mile takes approximately 28–28.5 minutes. These are comfortable self-selected speeds from healthy volunteers; individuals with mobility limitations may take longer.

How does walking 1 mile compare to running it?

A beginner runner at a 12:00 min/mile pace covers 1 mile in 12 minutes — 8 minutes faster than a moderate walker. An average recreational runner at a 10:00 min/mile pace finishes in 10 minutes.

The calorie difference is real but not as large as many assume: walking 1 mile burns roughly 80 calories for a 150-lb person (body weight × 0.53), while running the same distance burns about 113 calories (body weight × 0.75). Running burns approximately 1.5–2× more calories per mile than walking, but walking is lower impact and more sustainable for longer durations.

Related Pages

• How Long to Walk Half a Mile — shorter distance reference
• How Long to Walk 1.5 Miles — next distance up
• How Long to Walk 2 Miles — a common daily walking distance
• How Far Can I Walk in 20 Minutes? — the time equivalent of 1 mile at moderate pace
• How Long to Run a Mile — running comparison for the same distance
• 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. Fritz, S. & Lusardi, M. (2009). "White paper: Walking speed — the sixth vital sign." Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 32(2), 2–5.
6. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008). Step counts per mile at various speeds.
7. World Athletics — Tom Bosworth mile walk record. worldathletics.org