Mile
The mile, often called the international mile or statute mile to set it apart from other units with the same name, is a unit of length used in both the British imperial system and the United States customary system. Its foundation lies in an older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English feet, or 1,760 yards. The statute mile was formally standardized between the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States through an international agreement in 1959. This agreement redefined the yard in relation to SI units as 0.9144 metres, thereby fixing the mile at an exact metric equivalent. For everyday purposes, five miles is roughly comparable to eight kilometres. The informal term "mileage" is commonly used to refer to a distance expressed in miles.
Beyond this standard unit, the word "mile" is employed with qualifiers to describe or translate a wide range of units that derive from or are roughly equivalent to the Roman mile. Examples include the nautical mile, the Italian mile, and the Chinese mile. The Romans originally divided their mile into 5,000 feet, but the greater significance of the furlong in Elizabethan-era England led to the statute mile being set at 1,760 yards in 1593. This version of the mile subsequently spread throughout the British Empire, and several of its successor states continue to use it today. Although the US Geological Survey now officially uses the metre, legacy data from its 1927 geodetic datum has resulted in a separate US survey mile still seeing some use, despite being formally phased out in 2022. While most countries have replaced the mile with the kilometre when adopting the International System of Units, the international mile remains in use in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of smaller nations, many of which are territories or have close historical ties to the UK or US.
- type
- Unit of length
- standardization_year
- 1959 (international agreement)
- countries_still_using
- United Kingdom, United States, and several smaller territories
- also_known_as
- International mile, statute mile, land mile
Lore & Background
The mile is a unit of length in both British imperial and United States customary systems, based on an older English unit of 5,280 English feet, or 1,760 yards. In 1959, an international agreement between the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States formally redefined the yard as 0.9144 metres, making the mile exactly 1,609.344 metres. For everyday purposes, five miles is roughly equivalent to eight kilometres. The term "mileage" is used informally for distances expressed in miles. The mile is also used with qualifiers to describe or translate units derived from or roughly equivalent to the Roman mile, such as the nautical mile (now exactly 1,852 metres), the Italian mile, and the Chinese mile (now exactly 500 metres). The Romans divided their mile into 5,000 feet, but the greater importance of furlongs in Elizabethan-era England led to the statute mile being set at 8 furlongs in 1593. This form spread across the British Empire. The US Geological Survey now uses the metre officially, but legacy data from its 1927 geodetic datum means a separate US survey mile continues some use, though it was officially phased out in 2022. While most countries replaced the mile with the kilometre when adopting the International System of Units, the international mile remains in use in the United Kingdom, the United States, and several smaller territories or countries with historical ties to them. The modern English word "mile" derives from Middle English and Old English, cognate with other Germanic terms, ultimately from the Roman "mille passus" (thousand paces). The abbreviation "mi" is recommended by the American National Institute of Standards and Technology to avoid confusion with the metre (m) or millilitre (ml). In the United Kingdom, road signs use "m" for mile, though this can conflict with the symbol for the metre.
Reader's Guide
The mile's significance lies in its long history as a standard of distance measurement, from Roman roads to modern road signs. Its international standardization in 1959 resolved discrepancies between the US and Commonwealth definitions, cementing its exact metric equivalent. Despite global adoption of the kilometre, the mile persists in the UK, US, and several smaller nations, reflecting cultural and legal inertia. The term 'mile' also serves as a translation for diverse historical units, from the Roman mile to the Chinese mile, illustrating its role as a cross-cultural reference point. The US survey mile, though phased out, highlights the challenges of reconciling legacy data with modern standards. The mile's abbreviation conventions—'mi' for clarity, 'm' on UK road signs despite potential confusion with metres—show practical compromises in everyday use.
Did You Know?
- The BBC style holds that there is no acceptable abbreviation for 'miles' and it should be spelt out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Mile important in the canon?
Mile remains the everyday distance unit in the United Kingdom, the United States, and several smaller territories, making it one of the most widely used non-metric length measures in daily life. Its 1959 international standardization also gave scientists and engineers a fixed conversion anchor between imperial and metric systems.
Does Mile have any alternate forms or spin-offs?
Yes—the term 'mile' is applied to a family of related units, including the nautical mile, the Italian mile, and the Chinese mile, each of which descends from or approximates the original Roman mile concept. These variants serve specialized maritime, regional, or historical purposes distinct from the statute mile.
More in Units & Measurement 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record