Walking 3 miles a day is an excellent way to improve your health and fitness. But before you commit to a regular walking program, find out how long does it take to walk 3 miles?
It’s also helpful information if you’re planning a walk with friends or you suddenly find you’ve missed the last bus home and you have a 3-mile hike to your house!
The time to walk 3 miles depends on how fast you walk. Walking at a brisk pace of 4 miles per hour (mph) takes some effort but you’ll be walking faster than at a moderate pace of 3 mph.
A daily walk has numerous health benefits from improved cardiovascular fitness to lower blood pressure and better mental health. Brisk walking can help you lose weight.
Our guide explores the number of steps and time it takes to walk 3 miles, from an easy walk at a slow pace on the flat to walking uphill, walking briskly, or on a treadmill.
How Far Is 3 Miles?
3 miles is 5,280 yards or 4,828 meters or approximately 5K. 5K = 3.1 miles.
How many steps in 3 miles?
Using a fitness tracker or pedometer is an easy way to keep track of how much walking you do every day. The number of steps it takes to walk 3 miles depends on fitness levels, average step length (stride length), and pace.
Walking 3 miles is the same distance as approximately 6000 to 7200 steps.
How Long Does It Take To Walk 3 Miles?
How fast you walk dictates your walking time. There’s a big difference in waking time based on your intent.
If you’re walking with purpose, the average person will walk briskly at 3 to 4 miles per hour (mph).
A brisk pace is when your heart rate is elevated but you’re still able to walk and talk. You’ll need to make some effort to maintain your pace.
At a brisk pace of 3 to 4 mph, it will take 45 to 60 minutes to walk 3 miles.
When you’re not in a hurry, for example taking a stroll at a leisurely pace on the beach to watch the sunset, times for 3 miles can be over 90 minutes.
It’s not the speed that matters if you’re trying to get fit, it’s how hard you’re working. Your speed will naturally improve as you get fitter and take regular walks.
Walk faster using trekking poles, or try power walking. Some people can sustain a fast pace of up to 5 mph. At this pace, it takes just 36 minutes to walk 3 miles!
If you know your walking pace, you can find out how long it takes to walk 3 miles from the following chart:
| Walking Speed (mph) | Walking Pace (min/mile) | Time Taken To Walk 3 Miles (min: sec) |
| 2.0 | 30.0 | 90:00 |
| 2.25 | 26.7 | 80:06 |
| 2.5 | 24.0 | 72:00 |
| 2.75 | 21.8 | 65:24 |
| 3.0 | 20.0 | 60:00 |
| 3.25 | 18.5 | 55:30 |
| 3.5 | 17.1 | 51:18 |
| 3.75 | 16.0 | 48:00 |
| 4.0 | 15.0 | 45:00 |
| 4.25 | 14.1 | 42:18 |
| 4.5 | 13.3 | 39:54 |
| 4.75 | 12.6 | 37:48 |
| 5.0 | 12.0 | 36:00 |
Want to walk further, find out how long does it take to walk 4 miles and how long does it take to walk 5 miles?
What Is The Average Walking Speed?
Typically a good walking pace is 3 miles per hour.
For many people, this is a normal pace – the pace you walk at naturally without trying to walk faster.
If you’re walking for fitness, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), gives an example of moderate-intensity exercise as walking briskly at 2.5 to 4 mph.
That’s a walking pace of 15 to 24 minutes per mile.
Walking speed decreases with age but not as much as you might think. This study by Schimpl, Moore et al found that the difference is just 1.2 minutes when walking a distance of 1 km aged 20 compared to 60 years.
That works out at less than 6 minutes difference over 3 miles.
The same study found that differences in walking speed based on gender or BMI were insignificant.
Sex, height, muscle mass, stride length, and body weight can impact your speed but the greatest differences come from your fitness level.
The fitter you are, the faster you can walk. An older person who’s stayed fit and healthy all their life will walk much faster than the average speed.
Find out more about average walking speed.
How does distance affect your average walking pace?
It takes a good fitness level to maintain a brisk pace over a long distance. Most people will set off at a fast pace but slow down when they get tired.
It’s a good idea when you’re walking for fitness to practice walking at different speeds. This way you can gauge how fast to start walking based on different distances.
Can You Walk 3 Miles In An Hour?
If you’re in average or good shape you can walk 3 miles in an hour. That’s walking at an average pace of 20 minutes per mile.
For most people, this speed equates to a moderate walking pace. For brisk walking, if your fitness is good, you should manage 3 miles at a pace of 3.5 miles per hour. That’s walking at 17.1 minutes per mile.
If you find you’re walking at a slower pace than 3 mph, just keep walking regularly!
A brisk walk every day will improve your fitness and your walking time will naturally improve. You’ll also enjoy the same health benefits as running or other exercise regimes.
Walking Pace On A Treadmill
3 miles on the treadmill will often be faster than walking outside. Instead of uneven pavements and street furniture to dodge, you have a flat consistent treadmill belt to walk on.
On a treadmill, you can set the speed setting to the pace you want to walk at. So if you set the speed to 3 mph, it will take you 60 minutes to walk 3 miles.
At a speed of 4 mph, it will take 45 minutes to walk 3 miles.
Walk Uphill
If you want to burn calories, lots of calories – try walking uphill!
Find out how many calories using our Calories Burned Walking Calculator. On a steep hill, you can burn almost twice as many calories compared with walking on a flat surface.
It takes longer to walk uphill. Expect to take an extra 30 minutes for every 1000 feet of climbing. A 3-mile walk with 1000 feet of elevation gain can take 90 minutes.
Find out more about the time it takes to walk uphill.
Is Walking 3 Miles A Day Enough to Lose Weight?
Walking 3 miles a day burns approximately 240 to 300 calories and you can expect to lose about 2 pounds a month just from walking.
That may not sound like a lot but if you combine walking with a healthy lifestyle and make some improvements to your diet, weight loss can be as much as 1 – 2 pounds a week.
Walking further every day, such as walking 6 miles a day or even walking 7 miles a day will have faster results but weight loss depends on other factors – not just exercise.
It’s important to know that weight loss is never sustainable unless you exercise. A healthy diet is important, but if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to get moving! A regular walking habit will make a difference – you can lose weight by walking just 2 miles a day!
Getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and having a positive relationship with food are all important for losing weight. Find out why you’re not losing weight walking or why your weight loss is slow.
Thoughts From Love Life Be Fit
A walking routine of 3 miles a day is a good distance for staying healthy. You’ll hit the physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity but add some strength training twice a week such as these bodyweight exercises or yoga classes.
Three miles or one hour of walking a day is a good investment in your overall health. Walking not only helps you lose weight but strengthens your heart and bones, increases your energy levels, and helps with your mental health.
Think walking 3 miles a day is too far. You can stay fit by walking just 2 miles a day or walking for 30 minutes a day.