Convert Feet to Miles

The formulas

There are exactly 5,280 feet in one statute mile:

miles = feet ÷ 5,280

feet = miles × 5,280

• 5,280 — the exact number of feet per statute mile (8 furlongs × 660 ft).
• 0.000189394 — the decimal equivalent: 1 ft = 1 ÷ 5,280 miles.
• 0.3048 m — the exact SI definition of 1 foot (1959 international agreement).

Worked example

Using the default value of 200 feet:

1. Divide by 5,280: 200 ÷ 5,280 = 0.037878…
2. Round: ≈ 0.03788 miles.

Going the other way, 1 mile = 5,280 ft; 0.5 miles = 2,640 ft.

Feet to miles reference table

Feet	Miles
100 ft	0.01894 mi
500 ft	0.09470 mi
1,000 ft	0.18939 mi
2,640 ft	0.5000 mi (half mile)
5,000 ft	0.94697 mi
5,280 ft	1.0000 mi
10,000 ft	1.8939 mi
26,400 ft	5.0000 mi
52,800 ft	10.000 mi
138,336 ft	26.219 mi (marathon)
264,000 ft	50.000 mi
528,000 ft	100.00 mi

History & standards

The foot is one of the oldest units of measurement, derived from the human foot and codified in English law as early as the 13th century. The mile comes from the Latin mille passuum (“a thousand paces”), originally about 4,854 feet. In 1593 Queen Elizabeth I redefined the statute mile as 8 furlongs = 5,280 feet, creating the modern value still in use.

The 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa defined 1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly, making 1 foot = 0.3048 m and 1 mile = 1,609.344 m exactly. These are the values this calculator uses.

Common applications

• Running distances. Track events are often described in feet (440 ft = 1 lap in older stadiums) while road races use miles (5K ≈ 3.11 miles).
• Aviation. Aircraft altitude is given in feet worldwide; horizontal distances in nautical miles. Knowing 1 nautical mile = 6,076 ft is useful here.
• Property & surveying. US lot sizes and deeds often specify distances in feet; larger tracts switch to miles or acres.
• Driving. Visibility, sight distances, and stopping distances in US road engineering are specified in feet; posted limits and trip distances use miles.

Reverse conversion

Need to go the other way? Use the selector in the calculator above to switch to Miles to Feet, or visit the Miles to KM Calculator and KM to Miles Calculator for metric conversions.

Limitations & gotchas

• This calculator uses the international foot (0.3048 m). The older US survey foot (0.3048006 m) differs by about 2 parts per million — relevant only for high-precision geodetic work.
• A nautical mile (6,076 ft) is not the same as a statute mile (5,280 ft). Never use this converter for sea or air navigation distances quoted in nautical miles.
• Printed maps may use different scale bases. Always check whether a map is using statute miles or nautical miles before converting.

Sources & references

• NIST Special Publication 330 (2019): “The International System of Units (SI).”
• NIST Special Publication 811 (2008): “Guide for the Use of the International System of Units.”
• BIPM: “The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition” (2019).
• Federal Register Notice, “Deprecation of the United States Survey Foot” (2020, effective 2023).