The km to miles conversion factor
One mile equals 1.60934 kilometers, so to convert kilometers to miles you divide by 1.60934: miles = km ÷ 1.60934. For example, a 5 km run ÷ 1.60934 = 3.11 miles. To go the other way, use the miles to km calculator.
For a quick mental estimate, multiply kilometres by 0.6 and add a little: 5 km is roughly 3 miles, 80 km is roughly 50 miles. The exact factor comes from the international definition of the yard adopted in 1959, which fixed the mile at exactly 1,609.344 metres.
For the same task from a slightly different angle, try the meters to feet calculator.
How to convert kilometers to miles
Enter a distance in kilometers and the calculator divides by 1.60934 to return miles. Handy for race distances, road signs abroad, and travel planning. Two decimals is precise enough for most uses.
Worked example: a road sign abroad says 240 km to the next city. Dividing by 1.60934 gives 149.1 miles, so at a steady 100 km/h you are looking at about 2 hours 24 minutes. Note that speed limits convert with the same factor - 100 km/h is 62 mph and 50 km/h is 31 mph - but distance and speed must never be mixed, so convert both before working out a journey time.
The same numbers feed straight into the kilometers to meters calculator.
KM to miles reference table
| Kilometers | Miles |
|---|---|
| 1 km | 0.62 mi |
| 5 km | 3.11 mi |
| 10 km | 6.21 mi |
| 42 km | 26.10 mi |
Runners use a small set of these constantly: 5 km is 3.11 mi, 10 km is 6.21 mi, a half marathon is 13.11 mi and a marathon is 26.22 mi. Pace flips the other way - a 5:00 per km pace is roughly 8:03 per mile, because each mile contains 1.60934 km.
Once that is settled, the km/h to mph calculator takes care of the next part.
Frequently asked questions
- How many miles is 5 km?
- 5 km equals 3.11 miles (5 ÷ 1.60934).
- What is the km to miles formula?
- miles = kilometers ÷ 1.60934, since 1 mile is 1.60934 km.
- How many km are in a mile?
- One mile is about 1.60934 kilometers.
- How do I convert miles back to km?
- Multiply miles by 1.60934, or use the miles to km calculator.
- How many miles is a marathon?
- A marathon is 42.195 km, which is 26.22 miles - the familiar 26.2. A half marathon of 21.0975 km works out at 13.11 miles, and the 42 km line in the table above is slightly short of the official distance.