Steps to Kilometers Calculator – Convert Steps to Km
Calculate how many kilometers you’ve walked by entering your height and the number of steps taken below.
Distance:
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How to Convert Steps to Kilometers
Walking is an excellent way to maintain good health, and many people aim to achieve a daily target of steps to ensure they remain active. As you walk, you might wonder how many kilometers you have covered with all those steps.
You’ll find that it takes approximately 1,200 to 1,500 steps to walk one kilometer, or about 900 to 1,250 steps if you choose to run. It’s important to keep in mind that these estimations will vary based on a person’s stride length, which is determined by their height and pace.[1]
So, you can estimate the distance you have walked in kilometers by tracking the number of steps walked and multiplying that by the distance of your step or stride length, which results in the total distance walked. This is useful to estimate the number of calories burned walking as well.
You can calculate this information in a few steps.
Step One: Find Your Stride Length
The first step in converting steps to kilometers is to calculate your stride length utilizing your step length.
The average step length for a person is 0.67 to 0.76 meters, or roughly 41% to 45% of their body height, according to Scientific American.[2] A step length is the distance traveled in a single step forward with one foot. On the other hand, a stride length can be defined as the distance traveled within two steps; essentially, how far both your right foot and left foot are moving forward. This distance will vary from person to person and assumes the person is walking at an average pace.
To find your stride length, first determine your step length. For females, you’ll want to multiply your height in centimeters by 0.413, while males will want to multiply your height in centimeters by 0.415. The subsequent number will be step length, or distance covered by one step.
For Females:
step length = height (cm) × 0.413
For Males:
step length = height (cm) × 0.415
From there, you’ll double the step length to get your stride length.
The math will look like the following, for a male who is 192 cm tall:
Step Length:
192 cm × 0.415 = 79.68 cm
Stride Length:
79.68 cm × 2 = 159.36 cm
Step Two: Calculate the Distance
Once you have the step length calculated, multiply that by the number of steps walked. For example, if we use the step length from the equation above, then we would multiply 79.68 cm × 10,000 steps.
distance = step length × steps
Thus, the distance is equal to the step length (in cm) multiplied by the number of steps. The corresponding answer would be the distance traveled in centimeters – in this case, 796,800.
Step Three: Convert to Kilometers
At this point, the distance found will be in the same unit of measure as the step length.
To convert the distance to kilometers, divide the number of centimeters by 100,000. You can also use a conversion calculator to simplify this. Your distance in kilometers will be 7.96 km (796,800/100,000 = 7.96).
You can also calculate the number of miles walked by dividing the number of centimeters by 160,935.
You can also use a pace and distance calculator to estimate distance using your walking pace and total time walked.
How Many Kilometers are 10,000 Steps?
The average person travels approximately 7 to 9 kilometers when walking 10,000 steps at an average pace.
Steps to Kilometers Chart
The chart below shows the average distance walked in kilometers for various numbers of steps. Note that this is an approximation and will vary from person to person based on factors such as stride length and walking pace.
| Steps | Kilometers |
|---|---|
| 500 steps | 0.4 km |
| 1,000 steps | 0.8 km |
| 2,000 steps | 1.6 km |
| 3,000 steps | 2.4 km |
| 4,000 steps | 3.2 km |
| 5,000 steps | 4 km |
| 6,000 steps | 4.8 km |
| 7,000 steps | 5.6 km |
| 8,000 steps | 6.4 km |
| 9,000 steps | 7.2 km |
| 10,000 steps | 8 km |
| 15,000 steps | 12 km |
| 20,000 steps | 16 km |
| 25,000 steps | 20 km |
References
- Basser, E., How Many Steps in a Mile or Kilometer?, https://healthybeat.com/fitness/steps-in-miles-kilometers/
- Scientific American, Stepping Science: Estimating Someone's Height from Their Walk, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-estimating-height-walk/