How Many Feet Are in a Mile? Here’s a Simple Trick To Remember the Exact Number
Learn precisely how many feet are in a mile and more fun facts.
Your thoughts on the mile are likely all about perspective. If you're driving, it's likely a quick trip (barring massive traffic). You can probably leave a minute before you have to be there and arrive on time. Walking? That's more of a slog. A marathon runner? No big. But if the only marathon you've ever participated in is one that involved watching Law & Order: SVU, running a mile can feel like a steep hill to climb, even if it's a flat road. How many feet are in a mile, anyway?
You probably learned how many feet are in a mile sometime in school. But, like the difference between an isosceles and a trapezoid and scalene triangle, you likely forgot all about it (unless you're a parent and your kid needs help with homework).
Here's a refresher on how many feet there are in a mile, plus more fun facts worth remembering for your next water cooler chat.
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How Many Feet Are in a Mile?
There are 5,280 feet in a mile. This distance is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit. It's equivalent to 1,760 yards.
Where Did the Mile Originate?
The mile originated from the Roman mille passus, AKA "a thousand paces" or "5,000 Roman feet." According to Merriam-Webster, a Roman pace was equal to five Roman feet or 4.85 English feet. It was "measured in pacing from the heel of one foot to the heel of the same foot when it next touches the ground."
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How Did It Become 5,280 Feet?
Sometime around 1500, the English divided the mile into eight furlongs. Each furlong was 625 feet long, making the mile 5,000 feet. The Statute of 1593, which came under Queen Elizabeth I, lengthened the furlong to 660 feet. That extra 35 feet per furlong added 280 total feet to the mile. The final tally? 5,280 feet.
What Distance Is a Furlong?
Initially, the furlong was 625 feet. But the Statute of 1593 under Queen Elizabeth I extended the length of a furlong to 660 feet.
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What Distance Is a Country Mile?
A country mile isn't an actual unit of measure—it's a term used to describe a sneaky-long distance. Country roads usually aren't a straight line like a highway—they can be winding from left to right and up and down. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so a winding dirt road can feel longer than it is.
How To Easily Remember How Many Feet Are in a Mile
To easily remember how many feet are in a mile, think of the phrase "five tomatoes." It's similar to the 5,280 feet in a mile. Think about it. "Five-to-may-toes" sounds sort of similar to "five-two-eight-oh."
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