Medical Disclaimer: This calculator provides a general estimate based on established research and is for educational purposes only, not a substitute for medical advice. Individual results can vary based on health conditions, so consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, exercise, or health routine. Read our full Medical Disclaimer.
How Walking Time Is Calculated
Walking time is how long it takes to cover a distance at a steady walking speed. It is the distance divided by your speed, plus any extra time for climbing and for breaks. This calculator does that math for miles, kilometers or steps, and can turn the answer into an arrival time.
What Walking Time Measures
The result is your estimated time on the move at one steady pace. It does not include stops unless you add break time, and it does not rate your fitness. For runs, use the Running Pace Calculator.
The Formula
Moving time (hours) = distance (miles) / speed (mph)
Climb time (hours) = elevation gain (feet) / 2,000
Walking time = moving time + climb time
Total time = walking time + breaks
Pace (minutes per mile) = 60 / speed (mph)
The climb time is Naismith's rule, set out by W. W. Naismith in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in 1892: allow an hour for every three miles on the map, plus an hour for every 2,000 feet of ascent⁵.
How This Calculator Computes Your Result
Enter a distance in miles or kilometers, or a step count with your stride length (the distance covered by one step). Steps become miles by multiplying steps by your stride in inches, then dividing by 63,360 inches per mile. One mile is exactly 1.609344 km.
Then choose your speed: a preset, a typical speed for your age and sex, a speed in mph or km/h, or a pace per mile or per km. You can also add elevation gain in feet or meters, break time and a start time. It shows your walking time to the nearest minute, total time with breaks, arrival time, pace per mile and per km, and a speed label. For example, 10,000 steps at a 30 inch stride is 4.73 miles, which takes about 1 hour 35 minutes at 3 mph.
What Your Result Means
Your time depends mostly on your speed. The presets and speed labels follow the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which calls 2.0 to 2.4 mph a slow pace, 2.8 to 3.4 mph a moderate pace and 3.5 to 3.9 mph brisk².
Speed | Label | Pace per mile | Pace per km | Time for 5 km | Time for 5 miles |
2.0 mph (3.2 km/h) | Slow (preset) | 30:00 | 18:38 | 1 hr 33 min | 2 hr 30 min |
2.5 mph (4.0 km/h) | Slow to moderate | 24:00 | 14:55 | 1 hr 15 min | 2 hr 00 min |
3.0 mph (4.8 km/h) | Moderate (Average preset) | 20:00 | 12:26 | 1 hr 02 min | 1 hr 40 min |
3.5 mph (5.6 km/h) | Brisk (preset) | 17:09 | 10:39 | 53 min | 1 hr 26 min |
4.0 mph (6.4 km/h) | Very brisk | 15:00 | 9:19 | 47 min | 1 hr 15 min |
Speeds under 2.0 mph are labeled very slow (strolling), and 4.5 mph or more very fast. "Slow to moderate" and "very fast" are our own labels, not Compendium terms.
Average Walking Speed by Age and Sex
If you choose "Typical for my age and sex", the calculator uses pooled averages from 41 studies of 23,111 healthy adults walking at their normal pace¹.
Age | Men | Women |
20 to 29 | 1.36 m/s (3.0 mph) | 1.34 m/s (3.0 mph) |
30 to 39 | 1.43 m/s (3.2 mph) | 1.34 m/s (3.0 mph) |
40 to 49 | 1.43 m/s (3.2 mph) | 1.39 m/s (3.1 mph) |
50 to 59 | 1.43 m/s (3.2 mph) | 1.31 m/s (2.9 mph) |
60 to 69 | 1.34 m/s (3.0 mph) | 1.24 m/s (2.8 mph) |
70 to 79 | 1.26 m/s (2.8 mph) | 1.13 m/s (2.5 mph) |
80 to 99 | 0.97 m/s (2.2 mph) | 0.94 m/s (2.1 mph) |
Most adults under 70 average close to 3 mph, which is why the Average preset is 3.0 mph. These speeds were measured over short walkways of 3 to 30 meters¹, so your pace on a long outdoor walk may differ.
What Counts as Brisk Walking
"Brisk" has no single definition. The CDC counts walking at 2.5 mph or faster as brisk, moderate-intensity activity³. The Compendium uses "brisk" for a faster 3.5 to 3.9 mph². Without a speed reading, count your steps: about 100 steps per minute is a practical marker of moderate intensity in adults⁴. The CDC also offers the talk test: at moderate intensity you can talk, but not sing³.
Planning a Hike With Elevation Gain
Naismith's rule treats 2,000 feet of climb as worth an extra hour, the same time as 3 miles of flat walking⁵. So each foot of climb counts like about 8 feet of flat ground⁵. In metric terms, the rule adds about 10 minutes for every 100 meters of climb.
For example, an 8 mile hike with 2,500 feet of climb at 3 mph takes 2 hours 40 minutes for the distance plus 1 hour 15 minutes for the climb, or 3 hours 55 minutes before breaks. Enter the total climb from your map or app (the sum of all uphill sections), not the height of the summit. The rule adds no time for descent, and later writers have suggested changes for steep ground⁵.
Average Walking Speed by Age and Sex
Normal walking speed in healthy adults. Most adults under 70 average close to 3 mph.
- Men
- Women
Show data table
| Age | Men (m/s) | Women (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 29 | 1.36 | 1.34 |
| 30 to 39 | 1.43 | 1.34 |
| 40 to 49 | 1.43 | 1.39 |
| 50 to 59 | 1.43 | 1.31 |
| 60 to 69 | 1.34 | 1.24 |
| 70 to 79 | 1.26 | 1.13 |
| 80 to 99 | 0.97 | 0.94 |
Time to Walk 5 km and 5 Miles by Speed
Minutes of steady walking, with no climbing or breaks, at each speed from the table.
- 5 km
- 5 miles
Show data table
| Speed | 5 km (min) | 5 miles (min) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 mph (3.2 km/h), slow | 93 | 150 |
| 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h), slow to moderate | 75 | 120 |
| 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h), moderate | 62 | 100 |
| 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h), brisk | 53 | 86 |
| 4.0 mph (6.4 km/h), very brisk | 47 | 75 |
A Note on Accuracy
This calculator assumes you hold one steady speed for the whole walk. Traffic lights, crowds, rough paths, a heavy pack and tiredness all add time, so treat the result as a planning estimate. The age and sex speeds are group averages, and your own speed may be faster or slower. Naismith's rule is a rule of thumb, not a measure of your own hiking speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to walk a mile?
At an average pace of 3 mph, a mile takes 20 minutes. At a slow 2 mph it takes 30 minutes, and at a brisk 3.5 mph about 17 minutes.
What is the average walking speed?
For healthy adults under 70, average normal walking speed is about 1.24 to 1.43 m/s, or roughly 2.8 to 3.2 mph¹. It drops with age, to under 1 m/s (about 2.1 to 2.2 mph) after age 80¹.
How much time does elevation add to a hike?
Naismith's rule adds 1 hour for every 2,000 feet of climb, or 30 minutes per 1,000 feet⁵. In metric terms, that is about 10 minutes per 100 meters of climb.
How accurate is a walking time calculator?
The math is exact for a steady speed, so the result is only as good as the speed you choose. Real walks with stops, crossings and rough ground usually take longer, so add break time for a better plan.
Sources
Normal Walking Speed: A Descriptive Meta-Analysis, Bohannon and Andrews, 2011
Walking, 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities
How Fast Is Fast Enough? Walking Cadence as a Practical Estimate of Intensity in Adults, Tudor-Locke et al., 2018
A Mathematical Excursion in the Isochronic Hills, Scarf, 2008