How Long Does It Take to Walk 2.5 Miles?

Walking Time for 2.5 Miles at Different Paces

Two and a half miles is just long enough to feel like a real workout but short enough to fit within an hour at every pace except the very slowest. Here are the exact times at six pace levels.

Note the clean breakpoint at easy pace: 2.5 miles at 2.5 mph takes exactly 1 hour. At brisk pace, you're comfortably under 45 minutes — fitting neatly into a standard lunch break with time to spare.

The CDC defines moderate-intensity walking as 2.5–4.0 mph. At any speed in that range, 2.5 miles takes between 37 and 60 minutes.

How Long to Walk 2.5 Miles by Age

At 2.5 miles, age-related pace differences create a spread of about 25 minutes between the fastest and slowest groups. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011):

Key takeaways:

• Under 50 minutes: Men aged 20–59 and women aged 40–49 all finish in under 50 minutes — making this a sub-hour walk for most working-age adults.
• The hour threshold: Women over 70 and adults over 80 approach or exceed the 1-hour mark. This is a useful planning boundary for older walkers deciding whether to attempt 2.5 miles in a single outing.
• Practical range: For adults aged 20–69, 2.5 miles takes 46–54 minutes. The time gap across four decades of aging is less than 8 minutes.

5 Real-World Examples

1. The Extended Lunch Break Walker

Grace, 47, has a 60-minute lunch break and uses 45 minutes for walking. At a brisk 3.5 mph pace, she covers 2.5 miles in 42 minutes 51 seconds, giving her 17 minutes to change shoes, cool down, and eat at her desk. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011), women aged 40–49 naturally walk at 3.11 mph — Grace's brisk pace is slightly above her baseline.

At 155 lbs, she burns approximately 205 calories per walk (155 × 0.53 × 2.5). Five lunchtimes per week add up to 12.5 miles, 1,025 calories, and roughly 214 minutes of moderate-intensity activity — exceeding the CDC's 150-minute weekly recommendation.

2. The Morning Dog Walk

Kevin, 38, walks his border collie a 2.5-mile loop through neighborhood streets and a park every morning before work. The dog's enthusiasm pulls Kevin slightly faster than his natural 3.20 mph (Bohannon data, men aged 30–39), averaging about 3.3 mph. His walk takes roughly 45 minutes.

He leaves the house at 6:15 AM and returns by 7:00 AM — enough time to shower, eat, and commute. At 190 lbs, Kevin burns about 252 calories (190 × 0.53 × 2.5) and logs approximately 5,630 steps before most people have finished breakfast.

3. The Walkable Commuter

Iris, 25, lives 2.5 miles from her office in a mid-size city. She walks one way and takes the bus home on days when she's tired. At a moderate 3.0 mph pace, her walk takes 50 minutes — she puts on a podcast and treats it as her morning transition time.

The one-way commute provides 250 minutes of walking per week (5 days × 50 minutes). That alone exceeds the CDC's 150-minute guideline by 67%. At 130 lbs, each walk burns about 172 calories (130 × 0.53 × 2.5) and she saves $3.50 per bus fare skipped.

4. The Post-Retirement Routine

Ed, 74, walks 2.5 miles every morning through a suburban greenway. At his comfortable 2.82 mph (Bohannon data, men aged 70–79), the walk takes about 53 minutes 11 seconds. He times it perfectly: out the door at 7:30, coffee shop by 8:00, home by 8:25 after a short rest.

His daily walks total 17.5 miles per week — roughly 39,410 steps. A CDC-cited study found that adults averaging 8,000+ steps per day had 51% lower mortality risk. Ed's daily 5,630 steps from walking alone, combined with other daily movement, keeps him well above that threshold.

5. The Interval Training Walker

Monica, 33, walks 2.5 miles three times per week as part of a structured fitness plan. She alternates between brisk (3.5 mph) and easy (2.5 mph) in 5-minute intervals — a form of walking interval training. Her average pace works out to about 3.0 mph, completing the distance in 50 minutes.

The intervals push her heart rate higher during brisk segments (MET 4.3) and let her recover during easy segments (MET 3.0). At 145 lbs, she burns roughly 192 calories per session. The variation in effort prevents boredom and provides better cardiovascular training than a steady pace.

What Affects Your 2.5-Mile Walking Time?

Two and a half miles is long enough for pace and conditions to matter, but short enough that no single factor dominates.

Pace selection creates the widest time spread. The gap between leisurely (1:15:00) and fast (37:30) is nearly 38 minutes. For this distance, even a modest pace increase — from 3.0 to 3.5 mph — saves 7 minutes.

Route interruptions have a proportional impact. Two traffic lights at 90 seconds each adds 3 minutes to a 50-minute walk — a 6% increase. Choosing a continuous path (park loop, trail, residential streets) keeps your effective pace closer to your true walking speed.

Weather and temperature affect effort more than time at this distance. Walking 2.5 miles in 85°F heat doesn't add many minutes, but it adds fatigue and dehydration risk. The Compendium of Physical Activities doesn't adjust METs for temperature, but perceived effort rises noticeably.

Elevation changes create measurable differences. The Compendium rates flat walking at MET 3.5 versus 5.3 for a 1–5% incline at the same speed. A hilly 2.5-mile route might add 5–8 minutes compared to flat ground.

2.5 Miles in Steps and Calories

Steps

At a moderate 3.0 mph pace, 2.5 miles equals approximately 5,630 steps, based on the ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) figure of ~2,252 steps per mile. By height:

The popular 10,000-step target corresponds to 4–5 miles (ACSM data). A 2.5-mile walk gets you more than halfway there in a single session. The average American's 3,000–4,000 daily steps (CDC data) would nearly double with the addition of one 2.5-mile walk.

Calories Burned

Using the Compendium formula (body weight in lbs × 0.53 per mile × 2.5 miles):

The CDC benchmark of 280 calories per hour for a 154-lb person at moderate pace works out to about 233 calories over a 50-minute, 2.5-mile walk. At brisk pace (MET 4.3), calorie burn per minute increases by about 20%.

Tips for Walking 2.5 Miles

Two and a half miles is the natural next step for anyone who's been walking 1–2 miles and wants a bit more without doubling their time commitment.

Treat it as a "round-trip mile-and-a-quarter." Walk 1.25 miles out, turn around, and walk back. This simple structure eliminates route-planning complexity and guarantees you end where you started.

Use it to test brisk pace. If you've been walking at moderate 3.0 mph, try pushing to 3.5 mph for 2.5 miles. You'll finish in 43 minutes instead of 50 — and the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) defines brisk walking as approximately 100 steps per minute, a cadence most people can sustain with practice.

Pair it with a purpose. Walk to a coffee shop, a park, or a friend's house 1.25 miles away. Point-to-point walks with a destination feel shorter than loops of the same distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk 2.5 miles on a treadmill?

At 3.0 mph, a treadmill walk of 2.5 miles takes exactly 50 minutes. At 3.5 mph, 42 minutes 51 seconds; at 4.0 mph, 37 minutes 30 seconds.

Treadmill walking at this distance is very manageable — under an hour at every moderate-or-faster pace. Setting the incline to 1% matches outdoor energy expenditure without significantly adding time.

Is walking 2.5 miles a day good exercise?

Walking 2.5 miles daily at moderate pace provides 350 minutes of activity per week — well over double the CDC's recommended 150 minutes (CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2018). At roughly 5,630 steps per session, a daily 2.5-mile walk puts most people over the 8,000-step threshold linked to 51% lower all-cause mortality in a CDC-cited study.

For general health, weight management, and longevity, 2.5 miles per day is more than sufficient. It's also sustainable — under an hour, no special gear needed.

How many steps is 2.5 miles?

Two and a half miles equals approximately 5,630 steps at a moderate 3.0 mph pace, based on ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) data. At a brisk 4.0 mph, the count drops to about 4,838 steps (1,935 per mile) due to increased stride length.

By height, the range runs from about 4,963 steps (6'4") to 6,285 steps (5'0"). Two and a half miles puts you past the halfway mark toward the 10,000-step daily target.

How long would it take a senior to walk 2.5 miles?

For adults aged 60–69, Bohannon & Andrews (2011) data shows comfortable speeds of 3.00 mph (men) and 2.77 mph (women), translating to 2.5-mile times of 50 minutes for men and about 54 minutes 9 seconds for women. For adults aged 70–79, expect approximately 53 minutes 11 seconds (men) and 59 minutes 17 seconds (women).

Adults over 80 typically need about 1 hour 9 to 1 hour 11 minutes. For most seniors, 2.5 miles fits comfortably within a morning outing with no rest stops required.

How does walking 2.5 miles compare to running it?

A recreational runner at a 10:00 min/mile pace covers 2.5 miles in 25 minutes — half the time of a moderate walker. A beginner runner at 12:00 min/mile finishes in 30 minutes.

Walking 2.5 miles burns about 199 calories for a 150-lb person (body weight × 0.53 × 2.5), while running burns about 281 calories (body weight × 0.75 × 2.5). Running is faster and more calorie-dense per minute, but a 50-minute walk is achievable without warmup, cooldown, or recovery.

Related Pages

• How Long to Walk 2 Miles — half a mile shorter
• How Long to Walk 3 Miles — the next common distance
• How Far Can I Walk in 45 Minutes? — what brisk walkers cover in this time
• How Far Can I Walk in 1 Hour? — 2.5 miles at easy pace
• How Long to Run 2 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.