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Kilometres to miles

Multiply kilometres by 0.621371 to get miles.

1 km = 0.621371 miBIPM SI · NIST HB 44
km
13.0488mi

21 km = 13.0488 mi

How to convert kilometres to miles

The mile is exactly 1609.344 metres (5280 feet), the international mile. The kilometre is one thousand metres (10³ m).

Worked example — 21 km: 21 × 0.621371 = 13.0488 mi.

Kilometres to miles table

Common conversions. The reverse table is on miles to kilometres.
KilometresMiles
1 km0.621371 mi
2 km1.2427 mi
5 km3.1069 mi
10 km6.2137 mi
21 km13.0488 mi
42 km26.0976 mi
50 km31.0686 mi
100 km62.1371 mi
200 km124.2742 mi

Reverse and related

About kilometres and miles

Kilometre (km)

1 km = 0.621371 mi

Definition. One thousand metres (10³ m)

History and origin

The kilometre, one thousand metres, was defined along with the metric system in the 1790s as its unit for long distances. It spread across the world with the metric system through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Current use

Kilometres are the standard unit for road distances and running races in most of the world; the United States and United Kingdom still post road distances in miles.

Source: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019)

Mile (mi)

1 mi = 1.6093 km

Definition. Exactly 1609.344 metres (5280 feet), the international mile

History and origin

The mile comes from the Roman mille passus, a thousand paces, and became the English statute mile of 5280 feet in 1593. Through the 1959 agreement it is exactly 1609.344 metres.

Current use

The mile is the main unit for road distances and speed limits in the United States and United Kingdom, and for running events like the mile and the marathon.

Source: International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959); NIST Handbook 44, App. C

Where people use this

Kilometres: road distances, running races. Miles: road distances in the US and UK, running. A 42.195 km marathon is 26.2 miles.

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 mi = 1.609344 km, so 1 km = 1 ÷ 1.609344 = 0.621371 mi.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Sources: International Yard and Pound Agreement (1959); NIST Handbook 44, App. C; BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019).

Questions people ask

How many miles is 1 km?

One kilometre is about 0.6214 miles. To convert km to miles, multiply by 0.6214.

How many miles is 5 km?

A 5 km race is about 3.11 miles, and a 10K is about 6.21 miles.

How many miles is a marathon?

A 42.195 km marathon is 26.2 miles; a half marathon is 21.1 km, or 13.1 miles.

How many miles is 100 km?

100 km is about 62.1 miles.

How do you convert km to miles?

Multiply the kilometres by 0.6214. A quick estimate is to take about five eighths of the number.

All kilometre conversions