About Miles (mi)

The mile (symbol: mi or m), specifically the statute mile, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length. It is equal to 1,760 yards, 5,280 feet, or 63,360 inches. Since 1959, the international statute mile has been defined as exactly 1,609.344 meters.

The term "mile" originates from the Roman "mille passus," meaning "a thousand paces" (where a pace was two steps). The Roman mile was about 1,480 meters. The length of the mile varied considerably throughout history and by region until standardization. The nautical mile, used for air and sea navigation, is a different unit, based on the Earth's circumference (approximately 1,852 meters).

Miles are primarily used for:

• Measuring distances between geographical locations (e.g., road distances, city-to-city).
• Speed limits and vehicle odometers in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
• Running and racing events (e.g., "the mile run").
• Informal descriptions of longer distances.

• 1 mile = 1,760 yards (yd)
• 1 mile = 5,280 feet (ft)
• 1 mile = 8 furlongs
• 1 mile = 80 chains (Gunter's)

The US Survey mile is slightly longer than the international mile (approximately 1,609.347 meters) and is used in some land surveying contexts in the US.

To help visualize a mile:

• A brisk 20-minute walk typically covers about one mile.
• Many athletic tracks are 400 meters, so about four laps make a mile (actually 4.023 laps for an international mile).
• The length of an average airport runway can be 1 to 2 miles or more.
• The height of some of the world's tallest skyscrapers is around 0.3 to 0.5 miles.