Stride Length Calculator
Find your walking stride length and step length from your height — and see how many steps that means per mile or kilometer.
How to use this calculator
- Choose Imperial (feet/inches) or Metric (centimeters).
- Select Male or Female — stride multipliers differ slightly between sexes.
- Enter your height.
- Click Calculate Stride Length.
Tip: Use your stride length in the Steps to Distance Calculator or the Distance to Steps Converter to get more accurate results than the default height-based estimates those tools use.
How it works
Stride length vs. step length
A step is the distance covered by one foot landing — left heel strike to right heel strike. A stride is two steps: left heel to left heel again. Most pedometers and fitness apps count steps, not strides. This calculator gives you both so you can use the right number for the context.
The formula
Stride length is estimated from height using multipliers derived from the research of Tudor-Locke et al. and validated across large walking studies: stride length = height × 0.415 for males, stride length = height × 0.413 for females. Step length (one foot contact) is stride length ÷ 2. Steps per mile is calculated as 63,360 inches per mile ÷ stride length in inches; steps per kilometer is 100,000 cm per km ÷ stride length in cm.
Why this is an estimate
Stride length varies with pace — you take longer strides when walking faster or running. Terrain, footwear, age, and fitness level also affect it. The height-based formula gives a reliable average for normal walking pace. If you want a more precise figure, measure it directly: walk a known distance on flat ground, count your steps, and divide the distance by the number of steps to get your actual step length.
Reference table: step & stride length by height
Values below use an average multiplier (0.414) across male and female norms. Taller walkers take fewer, longer steps — which is why the "2,000 steps per mile" rule of thumb underestimates steps for shorter people and overestimates for taller ones.
| Height | Step length | Stride length | Steps / mile | Steps / km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5'0" (152 cm) | 13 in (32 cm) | 25 in (63 cm) | ~2,530 | ~1,585 |
| 5'2" (157 cm) | 13 in (33 cm) | 26 in (65 cm) | ~2,450 | ~1,535 |
| 5'4" (163 cm) | 13 in (34 cm) | 27 in (67 cm) | ~2,345 | ~1,490 |
| 5'6" (168 cm) | 14 in (35 cm) | 28 in (70 cm) | ~2,275 | ~1,430 |
| 5'8" (173 cm) | 14 in (36 cm) | 28–29 in (72 cm) | ~2,200 | ~1,390 |
| 5'10" (178 cm) | 15 in (37 cm) | 29 in (74 cm) | ~2,185 | ~1,350 |
| 6'0" (183 cm) | 15 in (38 cm) | 30 in (76 cm) | ~2,110 | ~1,315 |
| 6'2" (188 cm) | 15 in (39 cm) | 31 in (78 cm) | ~2,045 | ~1,280 |
| 6'4" (193 cm) | 16 in (40 cm) | 32 in (80 cm) | ~1,980 | ~1,250 |
Track it with StepGoals
StepGoals uses HealthKit step data from your iPhone or Apple Watch. Apple's motion hardware tracks your actual movement, so distance estimates in the Health app and in StepGoals already account for your personal gait. Your stride length from this calculator is most useful when using the step-to-distance tools on this site for planning purposes — for example, estimating how many steps a planned route will take before you walk it.
Download StepGoals today to take steps towards a healthier you.
