# How many miles is 20,000 steps?

> 20,000 steps is about 8.7 miles (14.1 km) for an adult of average height, 170 cm or 5 ft 7 in, and takes about 2 h 55 min at a moderate 3 mph. Taller people cover more ground with the same steps, shorter people less.

- URL: https://www.getstepup.app/tools/steps-to-miles/20000-steps

## How far is 20,000 steps by height?

Distance depends on how long your steps are, and that depends mostly on your height: a walking step is about 41% of it. So for 20,000 steps:

| Height | Step length | Miles | Km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | 63 cm | 7.8 | 12.6 |
| 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) | 65 cm | 8.1 | 13.0 |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 67 cm | 8.4 | 13.5 |
| 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | 69 cm | 8.6 | 13.9 |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 72 cm | 8.9 | 14.3 |
| 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 74 cm | 9.1 | 14.7 |
| 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 76 cm | 9.4 | 15.1 |
| 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | 78 cm | 9.7 | 15.6 |
| 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | 80 cm | 9.9 | 16.0 |

For your own height, and any other number of steps, use the [steps to miles calculator](https://www.getstepup.app/tools/steps-to-miles). The [stride length calculator](https://www.getstepup.app/tools/stride-length) shows how to measure your own step, which is more accurate than any formula.

## How long does it take to walk 20,000 steps?

At an average height, 20,000 steps is 8.7 miles (14.1 km). How long that takes depends on your pace:

| Pace | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 2 mph (3.2 km/h) | 4 h 22 min |
| Easy | 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h) | 3 h 30 min |
| Moderate | 3 mph (4.8 km/h) | 2 h 55 min |
| Brisk | 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h) | 2 h 30 min |
| Very brisk | 4 mph (6.4 km/h) | 2 h 11 min |

Another way to count it: about 100 steps a minute is where walking becomes moderate exercise for most adults, the kind health guidelines count. At that cadence, 20,000 steps is 3 h 20 min of walking. It doesn't have to be one walk: every step of the day counts toward the total.

## How many calories does 20,000 steps burn?

Calories depend mostly on your weight, and a little on your pace. For 20,000 steps (8.7 miles at an average height), walking on the flat:

| Weight | At 3 mph | At 3.5 mph |
|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 588 | 618 |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | 686 | 721 |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 784 | 824 |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 882 | 927 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 980 | 1,030 |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 1,078 | 1,133 |
| 250 lb (113 kg) | 1,225 | 1,288 |

These are the total calories for the walk, worked out from the Compendium of Physical Activities' energy cost of walking at each speed. About a quarter to a third of it your body would have burned sitting still anyway. The [steps to calories calculator](https://www.getstepup.app/tools/steps-to-calories) works it out for your own weight and pace.

## Is 20,000 steps a day enough?

It's more than enough. 20,000 steps is past where the large studies find the benefit to health levels off: about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day under 60, and 6,000 to 8,000 at 60 and over. No large study has found a point where more steps start doing harm; the benefit just flattens. The real risk is building up too fast, so if you walk far fewer now, raise your daily steps about 10% a week. [How many steps should I walk a day?](https://www.getstepup.app/guides/how-many-steps-a-day) goes through the research.

If you want to walk more than you do now, the [daily step goal calculator](https://www.getstepup.app/tools/step-goal) builds a week-by-week plan from your current steps, raising the target about 10% a week.

## Questions

### How many km is 20,000 steps?

About 14.1 km for an adult 170 cm tall, whose steps are about 70 cm long. At 5 ft (152 cm) it's about 12.6 km, and at 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) about 15.6 km.

### How long does it take to walk 20,000 steps?

About 2 h 55 min at a moderate 3 mph, or 2 h 30 min at a brisk 3.5 mph, for an adult of average height.

### How many calories does walking 20,000 steps burn?

About 756 calories for someone who weighs 70 kg (154 lb), walking at 3 mph. Someone heavier burns more for the same steps, someone lighter fewer.

## Sources

- [Paluch et al. (2022), Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts, The Lancet Public Health](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9289978/)
- [Ainsworth BE et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2011](https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31821ece12)
- [Tudor-Locke et al. (2019), Walking cadence (steps/min) and intensity in 21–40 year olds: CADENCE-adults, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity](https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-019-0769-6)