It takes approximately an hour to walk 4 miles – most people can walk 4 miles in 60 to 72 minutes on flat terrain.
This is brisk walking at a walking speed of just over 3 to 4 miles per hour. A typical walking pace is 15 to 18 minutes per mile.
Walking speeds vary depending on intent. If you’re walking with friends, chatting, and stopping to admire the views, expect to walk slower. The average person typically walks at 3 miles per hour.
When you’re walking for weight loss or to improve your fitness level, try and walk at a brisk pace where you can still walk and talk but your heart rate is elevated and you’re making a constant effort to maintain your pace.
How Long Does It Take To Walk 4 Miles At Different Paces?
If you know your walking speed or walking pace, you can find out how long it takes to walk 4 miles from the following chart:
| Walking Speed (mph) | Walking Pace (min/mile) | Time Taken To Walk 4 Miles (hour: min) |
| 2.5 | 24.0 | 1:36 |
| 2.75 | 21.8 | 1:27 |
| 3.0 | 20.0 | 1:20 |
| 3.25 | 18.5 | 1:14 |
| 3.5 | 17.1 | 1:08 |
| 3.75 | 16.0 | 1:04 |
| 4.0 | 15.0 | 1:00 |
| 4.25 | 14.1 | 0:56 |
| 4.5 | 13.3 | 0:53 |
| 4.75 | 12.6 | 0:50 |
| 5.0 | 12.0 | 0:48 |
Average Walking Speed
There are many factors affecting walking speed, not just fitness level. When you consider average values, walking speed decreases with age. It’s the main factor determining how fast you walk. Older people generally walk at a slow pace.
But sex, height, fitness level, muscle mass, stride length, and body weight are also important factors.
Of course, not everyone fits into these trends. These are average speeds. An older person who’s stayed fit and healthy all their life will walk much faster than the average speed.
Walking Speeds To Walk 4 Miles
A 5-decade study in New Zealand, for people born in 1972-73, measured walking speed for the 997 participants still alive at 45. The study found average walking speed was 1.30 m/s for usual walking gait and 1.99 m/s for maximum gait.
Converting to miles per hour provides an average speed of 2.91 mph for usual walking gait and 4.45 mph for maximum gait.
That’s a range of 54 to 82 minutes to walk 4 miles.
This study tested walkers over short distances. the results could be artificially high compared with completing a 4-mile walk.
Expect To Slow Down The Further You Walk
Unless you’re very fit, most people walk slower over longer distances. If you’re walking to lose weight, don’t set off walking too fast. It’s better to speed up over the last part of your walk than fade and struggle to walk the last mile.
It can be a good idea to test out different walking speeds using a fitness app to see how it feels. Compare a leisurely pace with a moderate pace and a fast pace.
Knowing the difference will help you find the right pace when you’re walking 4 miles. Depending on your fitness level, your mile time over four miles will be slower than the time it takes to walk one mile.
Average Walking Speed By Age
There are very few studies that look at walking speeds for different age groups. This 2011 study testing donors at the Cambridge Blood Center looked at the effect of age, sex, and BMI on walking speeds.
The study found that sex and BMI were surprisingly insignificant but walking speed declined with age.
The table below uses the median values from this study by Schimpl, Moore et al. to calculate the average walking speed for different ages and corresponding times to walk 4 miles:
How Long Does It Take To Walk 4 Miles By Age
| Age Range | Average Walking Speed (miles per hour) | How Long Does It Take To Walk 4 Miles? (minutes: seconds) |
| < 30 | 3.0 | 80:00 |
| 30 – 39 | 2.81 | 85:24 |
| 40 – 49 | 2.81 | 85:24 |
| 50 – 59 | 2.75 | 87:16 |
| > 60 | 2.70 | 88:52 |
This table doesn’t include results for walkers over 70. At this age, walking pace depends on an individual’s health, and average values are less meaningful.
How Long Does It Take To Walk 4 Miles By Sex
Men tend to walk faster. The differences in average paces between the sexes can be explained by height and muscle mass: men are generally taller and naturally have bigger muscles.
Using the same study by Schimpl, Moore, et al., these are the average walking speeds and times to walk four miles for men and women of different age ranges.
| Age | Average Walking Speed for Women (miles per hour) | Average Time to Walk 4 Miles Women (minutes: seconds) |
| 20-29 | 3.0 | 80:00 |
| 30-39 | 3.0 | 80:00 |
| 40-49 | 3.11 | 77:08 |
| 50-59 | 2.93 | 81:52 |
| 60-69 | 2.77 | 86:40 |
| Age | Average Walking Speed for Men (miles per hour) | Average Time to Walk 4 Miles Men (minutes: seconds) |
| 20-29 | 3.4 | 70:36 |
| 30-39 | 3.2 | 75:00 |
| 40-49 | 3.2 | 75:00 |
| 50-59 | 3.2 | 75:00 |
| 60-69 | 3.0 | 80:00 |
These tables don’t take into account a decline in speed over distance – so don’t be alarmed if your average pace is a little slower.
Related post: Average Walking Speed By Age And Sex (How Fast Can You Walk)
How To Improve Your Walking Speed
Establishing a daily routine of walking is the best place to start if you want to improve your walking speed.
Walking 4 miles a day is an excellent way to lose weight and increase your fitness. As you get fitter, you’ll naturally walk faster.
This site is full of tips to help you walk regularly: from how to get results walking for weight loss to how to start a walking plan.
Walking intervals and working workouts are great ways to speed up your normal pace. Add speed sessions to your regular walks once or twice a week and improve your leg strength with bodyweight exercises.
If four miles seem too far, try walking 3 miles a day or find out how long does it take to walk 2 miles.
Health Benefits Of Walking 4 Miles A Day
Walking regularly is a great way to stay healthy. It’s a low-impact activity that can help improve your cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and can help with your overall mental health.
Walking is one of the best ways of burning calories. Combined with a healthy diet, you can expect a weight loss of one pound a week when you walk 4 miles a day.