# Stride length by height calculator

> Your walking step is about 41% of your height: roughly 70 cm (2 ft 4 in) for someone 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall. A stride is two steps, so about 83% of your height. Measuring your own over a counted distance is more accurate than any formula.

- URL: https://www.getstepup.app/tools/stride-length (the calculator runs there, in the browser, and sends nothing anywhere)
- Updated: 2026-10-17

## What’s the difference between a step and a stride?

A step is from one foot landing to the other foot landing. A stride is two steps, from one foot back to the same foot. Step counters count steps, so step length is the number that turns them into distance.

## How is it worked out from height?

Taller people have longer legs and take longer steps: a walking step is close to 41% of height. It’s a rule of thumb, and your own may be a few centimetres either side, which is why measuring is better.

## How do I measure mine?

Walk a distance you know, such as 100 metres of a running track, at your normal pace, counting each step. Divide the distance by the steps. Do it twice and take the average.

## In StepUp

Your iPhone measures your real step length as you walk, and StepUp reads it from Apple Health.

## Questions

### What is the average step length?

Around 70 cm (27.5 in) for an adult 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall; around 74 cm (29 in) at 178 cm (5 ft 10 in).

### Does step length change with age?

It tends to shorten in later life. A step that shortens quickly can be worth mentioning to a doctor.

### Where does my iPhone record it?

In the Health app under Mobility, as Walking Step Length, measured when you walk with your iPhone in a pocket.

## Sources

- [CDC: Physical activity guidelines for adults](https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html)