Converting 1 km to steps gives about 1,316 steps for an adult with an average walking step of 0.76 m. Shorter people take nearer 1,450 steps per km and taller people closer to 1,250. Running steps are longer, so a running km is often only 800 to 1,000 steps.
Enter a distance and your height or step length above to get your own figure.
Quick numbers
1 km at 0.76 m step
1,316 stepsRange for most adults
1,250 to 1,450 steps5 km
about 6,579 steps10 km
about 13,158 stepsRunning 1 km
about 800 to 1,000 steps
1 km to steps: how many steps is equal to 1 km
Steps = distance in metres ÷ step length in metres
1 km = 1,000 m
With a step of 0.70 m, 1 km is 1,429 steps. At 0.76 m, 1,316 steps. At 0.80 m, 1,250 steps. So the honest answer to how many steps equal 1 km is 'about thirteen hundred, give or take a hundred and fifty'.
Km to steps calculator table
| Distance | Step 0.70 m | Step 0.76 m | Step 0.80 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 km | 714 | 658 | 625 |
| 1 km | 1,429 | 1,316 | 1,250 |
| 1.5 km | 2,143 | 1,974 | 1,875 |
| 2 km | 2,857 | 2,632 | 2,500 |
| 2.5 km | 3,571 | 3,289 | 3,125 |
| 3 km | 4,286 | 3,947 | 3,750 |
| 3.5 km | 5,000 | 4,605 | 4,375 |
| 4 km | 5,714 | 5,263 | 5,000 |
| 5 km | 7,143 | 6,579 | 6,250 |
| 7 km | 10,000 | 9,211 | 8,750 |
| 10 km | 14,286 | 13,158 | 12,500 |
Going the other way, from a count to a distance? The steps to distance tool handles it.
Step length by height
A common estimate is height × 0.413 for women and × 0.415 for men. A woman of 155 cm then has a step of about 0.64 m and takes 1,562 steps per km. A man of 178 cm has a step of about 0.74 m and takes 1,354 steps per km.
Walking slowly, carrying bags or walking uphill shortens the step and adds steps per km.
5 km to steps and 10 km to steps
A 5 km walk is about 7,143 to 6,250 steps. A 10 km walk is about 14,286 to 12,500 steps, more than a full 10,000 step day for most people. For a 10 km run, expect roughly eight to ten thousand steps because each running stride is longer.
Measuring your own steps per km
- Find a measured distance: a 400 m track, or a road stretch checked on a map.
- Walk it at your usual pace and count steps.
- For a 400 m track, multiply your count by 2.5 to get steps per km.
Once you know your number, any distance becomes easy to plan.
Using km to plan daily steps
A goal of 7,000 steps is about 5.3 km; while ten thousand steps come to roughly 7.6 km. If your morning walk loop is 2 km, that is roughly 2,600 steps toward your total. Calories for those walks are on the walking calorie page and the 10,000 steps in km page explains the full-day target.
Joint pain or breathlessness while building up distance is a signal to slow down and ask a doctor for advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the step count for 1 km?
About 1,316 steps at an average step, and 1,250 to 1,450 for most adults.
1 km is equal to how many steps for a woman?
Usually 1,350 to 1,500, since women are on average shorter. Height matters more than sex.
How many steps are in 5 km?
About 7,143 to 6,250 steps walking.
How many steps are in 10 km?
About 14,286 to 12,500 steps walking, or eight to ten thousand running.
How many steps in 2 km?
About 2,857 to 2,500 steps.
Is 1,000 steps equal to 1 km?
No. A thousand steps covers roughly 0.7 to 0.8 km for most adults.
Sources
- Step length to height ratios used in pedometer research