Do you have some extra time on your hand? If your answer is yes, why not take some time to learn about How To Convert Kilometers To Miles . It might help you out someday. If your answer is no, you came to the right place anyways. You will be able to make an informed decision based of accurate information, which is another way of saying that you’ll be smarter for knowing this stuff if you are considering it.
A mile is an imperial unit of measurement commonly used in the United States to determine the distance between two locations. A kilometer is used to measure the same thing but is a metric unit of length. It’s a fairly easy mathematical equation to convert kilometers to miles, or vice versa.
Table of Contents
Kilometers to Miles Converter
Method 1 Converting Kilometers to Miles
- Master the formula for converting kilometers to miles. 1 kilometer is equal to 0.621371 miles (often shortened to .62).[1] 1 mile is equal to 1.609344 kilometers.
- Thus, to convert kilometers to miles, simply multiply the number of kilometers by 0.62137.[2]
- For example, let’s say you start with 5 kilometers. People are often interested in this conversion because they want to know how many miles are in a 5K run. The formula is 5 X 0.62137= 3.1 miles.
- You could also divide the number of kilometers by the number of kilometers per mile, which is the above-mentioned 1.609 kilometers (rounded off for simplicity). For example, 5 kilometers divided by 1.609 kilometers per mile = 3.1 miles.[3]
- Convert kilometers to nautical miles. Regular miles are a land-based unit of measurement. However, perhaps you want to know the conversion for nautical miles instead.
- The conversion for nautical miles is different: Every kilometer is = to 0.5399568035 nautical miles.
- Nautical miles are based on the earth’s circumference and is used for air and sea travel.
Method 2 Using Online Tools to Convert Kilometers to Miles
- Use a conversion chart or online calculator. The charts list the number of kilometers alongside the equivalent miles. The calculators allow you to plug in the number of kilometers to get the number of miles. [4]
- For example, a chart would show that 11 kilometers is equal to 6.84 miles. However, 11 miles is equal to 17.7 kilometers.
- If you know how to use Microsoft Excel, you could also use an Excel formula to do the conversion. To convert kilometers to miles in Excel, the formula is CONVERT(x,”y”,”z”). In the formula, “y” is the original unit of measurement, “x” is the quantity of that unit, and “z” is the unit of measurement you want to convert to.
Method 3 Using Estimation to Convert Kilometers to Miles
- Use an old trick to do the calculation. It’s too hard for most people to multiply any number by 0.62137119. There is a way you can do the calculation in your head.
- Let’s say the number of kilometers is 144. Halve it. That gets you 72. Then take a quarter of the half. That’s 18.
- Now, add the two together, the half and the quarter: 72 plus 18 in this case. You get 90. That’s the answer.[5]
- Use Fibonacci numbers to do the conversion. This one’s unusual, but it works. These numbers are a series of numbers in which each subsequent number is the sum of the two before.[6]
- Start with two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. For example, the numbers 5 and 8. There are 8 kilometers in 5 miles. To convert back, read the result in the other direction, as there are 5 miles in 8 km.
- This works as an estimate only. For example, take the consecutive Fibonacci numbers 21 and 34. This would tell you there are 34 kilometers in 21 miles and vice versa, when the exact answer is 33.79 kilometers.
- In order to convert a number that isn’t a Fibonacci number, express the original number as a sum of Fibonacci numbers and do the conversion for each Fibonacci number separately. Say you want to convert 100 miles to kilometers. Number 100 could be a sum of Fibonacci numbers 89 + 8 + 3. The Fibonacci number following 89 is 144, the Fibonacci number following 8 is 13 and Fibonacci number following 3 is 5. So add 144 + 13 + 5 = 162 kilometers in 100 miles.
- Find other conversions for kilometers. Perhaps you don’t want to stop with miles. There are many other conversions for kilometers.
- Every kilometer is equal to 39,370.07874 inches, 3,280.839895 feet,1,093.613298 yards, and 100,000 centimeters.
- Every kilometer is equal to 1,000 meters.
Mile
Definition: A mile (symbol: mi or m) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. It is currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or exactly 1,609.344 meters.
History/origin: The mile is an English unit (predecessor of Imperial units and United States Customary Units) of length. The use of the abbreviation “m” for mile was common before the widespread adoption of the metric system; after the adoption of the metric system, “mi” became the preferred abbreviation in order to avoid confusion between miles and meters. The definition of a mile as 5,280 feet (or 8 furlongs), sometimes referred to as the statute mile, international mile, or land mile, which differs from the Roman mile of 5,000 feet, developed due to the importance of the furlong in England, back in 1593. There also exist a number of units based on, or closely related to, the Roman mile, including the nautical mile (1.852 km exactly), Italian mile (~1.852 km), and the Chinese mile (500m exactly).
Current use: Although most countries have adopted the metric system and use kilometers, rather than miles, to express land distance, the mile is still prevalently used in countries such as the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Myanmar, and Liberia, as well as some other countries which are either US or UK territories, or have historical ties with either country.
Kilometer
Definition: A kilometer (symbol: km) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). One kilometer is equivalent to 0.6214 miles.
History/origin: The prefix kilo- is a metric prefix indicating one thousand. One kilometer is therefore one thousand meters. The origin of the kilometer is linked to that of the meter, and its current definition as the distance traveled by light in 1/299 792 458 second. This definition is subject to change, but the relationship between the meter and the kilometer will remain constant.
Current use: It is currently the official unit of measurement for expressing distances between geographical places on land in most of the world. However, there still remain a number of countries that primarily use the mile instead of the kilometer including the United States and the United Kingdom (UK). Unlike the United States, the UK has adopted the metric system; while the metric system is widely used in government, commerce, and industry, remnants of the imperial system can still be seen in the UK’s use of miles in its road systems.
Mile to Kilometer Conversion Table
| Mile [mi, Mi(Int)] | Kilometer [km] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 mi, mi(Int) | 0.01609344 km |
| 0.1 mi, mi(Int) | 0.1609344 km |
| 1 mi, mi(Int) | 1.609344 km |
| 2 mi, mi(Int) | 3.218688 km |
| 3 mi, mi(Int) | 4.828032 km |
| 5 mi, mi(Int) | 8.04672 km |
| 10 mi, mi(Int) | 16.09344 km |
| 20 mi, mi(Int) | 32.18688 km |
| 50 mi, mi(Int) | 80.4672 km |
| 100 mi, mi(Int) | 160.9344 km |
| 1000 mi, mi(Int) | 1609.344 km |
Conclusion
In the United States, the use of miles instead of kilometers is a common occurrence. In fact, many Americans have been using this unit for as long as they can remember. Most people who use miles will never think about changing over to a different unit of measurement even if they receive a metric wake-up call from time-to-time. The good news is that it isn’t hard to convert miles into kilometers or vice versa.