20 Steps to Miles
Put 20 steps on a tracker and the readout comes to about 0.01 miles. A useful way to picture it: walking from your couch to your mailbox and back. The average American, per NHANES data, logs 8,818 steps a day. This step count is less than that, at about 0%.
Distance
0.01Miles≈ walking from your couch to your mailbox and back
Walk Time
< 1 min
Calories
1 kcal
vs. US Avg
0%
Steps to Your Next Goal
How 20 steps stacks up against a few common step and distance goals.
5K
6,180more steps
10K
12,380more steps
15K
18,580more steps
Half Marathon
26,180more steps
Walking this instead of driving saves about 4g CO2 (0.01 lb).
Full breakdown →That 1 kcal is the flat estimate. Your real number changes with weight and pace.
Personalized breakdown →Jump to Another Step Count
Distance Snapshot
- ≈ walking from your couch to your mailbox and back
- Also in range: one length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool
Guess the Distance
Which is farther: 20 steps, or Walking from your couch to your mailbox and back?
Not quite.
20 Steps to Miles, By Height
The 2,000-steps-per-mile figure above is a flat average. Stride length actually scales with height, so the same 20 steps covers a different distance depending on how tall the walker is.
| Height | Distance |
|---|---|
| Short (~5'2") | 0.01 mi |
| Average (~5'7") | 0.01 mi |
| Tall (~6'2") | 0.01 mi |
Keep This Up
If 20 steps became a daily habit instead of a one-time count, here's what it adds up to over time.
| Period | Steps | Distance | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 140 | 0.1 mi | 6 kcal |
| Monthly | 600 | 0.3 mi | 24 kcal |
| Yearly | 7,300 | 3.7 mi | 292 kcal |
Where 20 Steps Ranks
Activity levels are commonly grouped by daily step count. Here's where 20 steps falls.
| Activity Level | Daily Steps |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | Under 5,000 |
| Low Active | 5,000–7,499 |
| Somewhat Active | 7,500–9,999 |
| Active | 10,000–12,499 |
| Highly Active | 12,500+ |
Did You Know?
A large 2017 smartphone study across 46 countries (published in Nature) found average daily step counts varying enormously by country, roughly 4,000 to nearly 6,900. The researchers found that inequality in step counts within a country predicted obesity rates better than the average did.
George Meegan's 1977-1983 trek from the southern tip of South America to Alaska covered roughly 19,000 miles on foot the entire way, still recognized as the longest unbroken walking journey ever recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 20 steps a lot?
It's less than the average U.S. adult walks in a day. 20 steps is about 0% of the NHANES-measured daily average of 8,818 steps.
How long does it take to walk 20 steps?
At an average walking pace of about 3 mph, 20 steps takes roughly < 1 min. Walking slower or faster will shift that time up or down.