Miles to Kilometers: Essential Length Conversions for Travelers
A practical guide to length conversions you need when traveling internationally.
Traveling between countries that use different measurement systems can be confusing. Speed limit signs, distance markers, product dimensions, and even body measurements are expressed differently depending on where you are.
The Essential Conversion
1 mile = 1.609 kilometers (or roughly 1.6 km) 1 kilometer = 0.621 miles (or roughly 0.6 mi)
Quick Conversion Tricks
The Fibonacci sequence provides a surprisingly good approximation for km/mile conversion. Each number is approximately 1.618 times the previous one (close to the km/mile ratio of 1.609):
- 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89…
- 5 miles ≈ 8 km (actual: 8.05 km)
- 8 miles ≈ 13 km (actual: 12.87 km)
- 13 miles ≈ 21 km (actual: 20.92 km)
Height Conversion
When traveling, you may need to express your height differently:
| Feet/Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 5’0” | 152 cm |
| 5’4” | 163 cm |
| 5’8” | 173 cm |
| 6’0” | 183 cm |
| 6’2” | 188 cm |
Common Travel Distances
Some useful reference distances:
- Marathon: 42.195 km (26.2 miles)
- 10K race: 10 km (6.2 miles)
- Half marathon: 21.1 km (13.1 miles)
- 100 yards: 91.4 meters
- 100 meters: 109.4 yards
Hotel Room Sizes
International hotel listings may show room sizes in m²:
- Standard room: 20-30 m² (215-323 ft²)
- Suite: 40-80 m² (430-861 ft²)
- Presidential suite: 100+ m² (1,076+ ft²)
Need to convert units?
Try our free online converters for instant, accurate results.