How to Convert Kilometres to Miles (2026)

Kilometres and miles are the two most common units for measuring road distances, travel speed, and running distances. The UK, US, and a handful of other countries use miles; most of the world uses kilometres. Knowing how to convert between them is useful for reading foreign road signs, comparing race distances, or understanding a car’s odometer.

The formula

One kilometre equals exactly 0.621371 miles. To convert kilometres to miles, multiply the kilometre value by 0.621371. To go the other way — miles to kilometres — multiply by 1.60934.

A quick mental shortcut: multiply kilometres by 5 and divide by 8. It’s slightly off (true factor is 0.625 vs 0.621371) but accurate enough for most everyday estimates. For a 100 km trip, that gives 62.5 miles against the precise 62.1 miles.

Common conversions at a glance

When precision matters

For navigation, logistics, or any calculation fed into another system, use the full factor (0.621371) rather than the mental shortcut. The rounding error compounds over large distances — at 1,000 km the shortcut is off by about 3.6 miles, which is enough to matter on a tight route plan. Aviation and maritime contexts typically use nautical miles instead; one nautical mile equals 1.852 km, a separate conversion entirely.

Use the Distance Converter to do this instantly, with support for km, miles, nautical miles, and more.