Stride length calculator

Your tracker guesses your step length from your height. Measure it yourself for more accurate step counts.

Your details

Distance walked
Steps counted
Height
What your tracker said for the same walk (optional)
Your usual steps a day (optional)

Your step length

77 cm

a stride (two steps) is 154 cm

  • Steps in a mile2,092
  • Steps in a km1,300
  • Height based estimate70 cm a step
  • Tracker checkadd the distance your watch or phone showed for the same walk

Measuring beats guessing: walk a known distance, such as 100 m on a track or a measured stretch of pavement, and count your steps. Put the answer into your tracker settings.

The working

100 m in 130 steps

100 m ÷ 130 steps = 77 cm a step, so a stride (two steps) is 154 cm. That is 2,092 steps a mile. The common rule of thumb (41% of height, so 70 cm at 170 cm) would undercount you.

Step or stride

Words matter

TermMeans
Stepone foot to the other foot
Stridetwo steps, back to the same foot
Cadencesteps a minute

How to measure

Two minutes

  • Use a track straight or a measured 100 m
  • Walk at your normal pace
  • Count every step
  • Do it twice and average

Check your tracker

Measure the distance accurately

Walk your measured stretch with your watch or phone running and add the distance it showed. If 100 m reads as 108 m the tracker is 8% over, and setting its step length to your measured value fixes it. Add your usual steps a day to see the real distance they cover: 8,000 steps at 77 cm is about 6.2 km.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • RunningRunning steps are much longer.
  • HillsSteps shorten uphill.
  • Tracker accuracyWrist trackers miss some steps.

Questions

Common questions

What is an average step length?

About 70 to 80 cm for adults walking.

How many steps in a mile?

About 2,000 to 2,400 for most people.

Is stride the same as step?

No, a stride is two steps.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.

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