Metric Conversions
Metric Conversions

Miles (mi)

The mile is a unit of length equal to exactly 1,609.344 meters. It is defined internationally based on the statute mile standard agreed upon by the United States and countries using Imperial units [bipm-si-brochure]. The mile is used primarily for measuring distances on land and in navigation.

Origin

The mile traces back to Roman times, originally defined as 1,000 paces. The modern statute mile was standardized in 1593 by an English Act of Parliament and internationally fixed in 1959 to 1,609.344 meters to unify measurements [bipm-si-brochure].

Worldwide Use

Miles remain official units of length in the United States, United Kingdom, and some Caribbean countries. It is commonly used in road distances, aviation, and maritime navigation, despite the global trend toward metric units [nist-sp-811].

Common References

  • Distance between New York City and Washington D.C. (~225 miles)
  • Length of a marathon race (~26.2 miles)
  • Average driving distance per day in the USA (~30 miles)
  • Length of the English Channel at its narrowest (~21 miles)
Miles → Meters1 mi = 1,609.344 mMiles → Kilometers1 mi = 1.6093 kmMiles → Centimeters1 mi = 160,934.4 cmMiles → Millimeters1 mi = 1,609,344 mmMiles → Micrometers1 mi = 1,609,344,000 µmMiles → Nanometers1 mi = 1,609,344,000,000 nmMiles → Yards1 mi = 1,760 ydMiles → Feet1 mi = 5,280 ftMiles → Inches1 mi = 63,360 inMiles → Nautical Miles1 mi = 0.869 nmiMiles → Fathoms1 mi = 880 ftmMiles → Furlongs1 mi = 8 furMiles → Light Years1 mi = 0 lyMiles → Astronomical Units1 mi = 0 auMiles → Parsecs1 mi = 0 pcMiles → Decimeters1 mi = 16,093.44 dmMiles → Hectometers1 mi = 16.0934 hmMiles → Megameters1 mi = 0.0016 MmMiles → Gigameters1 mi = 0 GmMiles → Chains1 mi = 80 chMiles → Rods1 mi = 320 rdMiles → Thou (Mils)1 mi = 63,360,000 thMiles → Picometers1 mi = 1,609,344,000,000,000 pm