A route is described as five kilometres, a relative calls it three miles and a child asks whether that is far. Both units measure distance, but they divide it into different-sized pieces. Use the converter for an accurate calculation, then try a few estimates together to make the numbers less abstract.
Kilometres and miles converter
Enter a distance of zero or more. Results use international land miles and are rounded to 3 decimal places.
Know which mile you mean
This tool uses the international mile used for ordinary land distances: one mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometres. A kilometre is 1,000 metres. Nautical miles, used in marine and aviation contexts, are a different unit and are not included here.
To change miles into kilometres, multiply by 1.609344. To change kilometres into miles, divide by 1.609344. The converter rounds its displayed answer to three decimal places; that rounding does not make a measured route more precise.
Try an estimate before calculating
For a quick mental estimate, five miles is roughly eight kilometres. So ten miles is about sixteen kilometres, and a five-kilometre route is a little over three miles. The five-to-eight relationship is approximate, not an exact conversion.
Ask everyone to make a guess before revealing the calculator result. Talk about whether the estimate was useful rather than who was closest. Younger children can compare a short familiar route with a longer one without doing the multiplication.
Use a familiar route as a reference
Choose a route you already know, such as the journey between home and a nearby park. An adult can check its distance using a suitable map. Explain whether the number is for the outward journey or the whole return trip.
If the outward route is 1.2 kilometres and you return the same way, the total is 2.4 kilometres. A different return route, diversions or time spent walking around the park would change the total. Our worksheet has separate boxes for one-way and total distance to make that distinction visible.
Keep distance separate from difficulty
A kilometre uphill on rough ground can feel very different from a kilometre on a level path. Weather, crossings, rests, mobility needs and what you are carrying also matter. The converter does not estimate a suitable walking distance for a child or predict journey time.
Use routes and activities that suit the people taking part, and check local conditions. For a paper-based game, children can invent a journey between imaginary places instead of measuring a real walk.
Make it a three-round game
In round one, sort five distance cards from shortest to longest after converting them to the same unit. In round two, estimate the answers before using the tool. In round three, invent a return journey and explain the calculation.
The printable includes worked answers on a separate page. Keep it for checking after the discussion, or let one person be the answer reader. Calculators are welcome: the useful skill is knowing which operation to choose and what the number describes.
