km to Miles Converter

Kilometres to miles is the conversion behind race distances, road signs and car odometers. A mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so a 5 km run is about 3.1 miles.

How to use the km to Miles Converter

1. Type the number of kilometres into the Kilometres field. Decimals such as 2.5 are fine.
2. Read the answer in Miles – it updates as you type, with no button to press.
3. To convert the other way, type into Miles and the kilometres are recalculated.
4. Press Copy results to copy both values with the page title, or Copy link to share this exact conversion.

This page converts only km ⇄ mi. Need a different unit? Use the general length converter, where you can choose any “from” and “to” unit.

How it works

Both units measure length, so they are always in the same ratio: one kilometre equals 0.62137119 miles. The calculator multiplies the number of kilometres you type by 0.62137119 to give miles, and when you type into the miles field it divides by the same factor to give kilometres. Because the ratio never changes, doubling the kilometres always doubles the miles. Results are calculated at full precision and rounded only for display (up to eight decimal places, with very large or small values shown in scientific notation).

How to convert kilometres to miles

1. Write down the value in kilometres, for example 5 km.
2. Multiply by the conversion factor 0.62137119 (because 1 kilometre = 0.62137119 mi).
3. 5 × 0.62137119 = 3.106856 mi.
4. To go back from miles to kilometres, divide by 0.62137119 – or multiply by 1.609344.

km to mi conversion table

What is a kilometre?

A kilometre is 1,000 metres. It is the standard unit for road distances, maps, running races and travel in almost every country except the U.S. and UK, where miles are still used on road signs.

What is a mile?

The statute mile is 5,280 feet, exactly 1,609.344 m. U.S. and UK road signs, speed limits and running races such as the mile and the marathon (26.2 mi) use it.

Quick mental conversion

For a fast estimate, multiply kilometres by about 0.62 to get miles; the error is about 0.2%. Use the calculator above when you need the exact figure.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mixing the international foot (0.3048 m) with the old u.s. survey foot, confusing nautical and statute miles, and writing decimal feet such as 5.5 ft as “5 ft 5 in” (it is 5 ft 6 in).