How this calculator works
The math is simple, and we’d rather show it than hide it:
- Stride length is about 41 percent of your height. At 5 feet 7 inches, that’s about 27.7 inches, or roughly 2,290 steps per mile.
- Miles per day = your daily steps divided by your steps per mile.
- Lifetime miles = miles per day × 365 × the years you’ve been walking (we start counting at age 1).
- Running and cycling miles, if you add them, are counted separately and added on top.
It’s an estimate. Most people walk more as kids and less in later years, and your step count today may not match your step count at 25. If you have an iPhone, the Health app shows your actual daily average under Steps, which makes a good starting point.
How far does the average person walk?
A large 2010 pedometer study found American adults average about 5,117 steps a day. That works out to roughly 850 miles a year and 60,000 to 75,000 miles in a lifetime, two to three times around the Earth. We dug into the numbers in How Many Miles Do You Walk in a Lifetime?
Frequently asked questions
How far has the average person walked in their life?
The average American takes about 5,100 steps a day, roughly 2.3 miles. Over a lifetime of about 79 years that adds up to somewhere between 60,000 and 75,000 miles, enough to circle the Earth two to three times.
How is lifetime walking distance calculated?
Daily steps times 365 days times the years you have been walking, divided by your steps per mile. Steps per mile comes from your stride length, which is roughly 41 percent of your height. For most adults that is 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
About 4 to 5 miles for most adults, depending on height and stride. At 10,000 steps a day you walk roughly 1,650 miles a year.