How Far Would You Walk Going Around the World
Walking around the world along the equator means covering about 24,901 miles (40,075 km), which is the Earth’s equatorial circumference. If you follow a meridian that passes through the poles, the figure drops to about 24,860 miles (40,008 km). At a hiker’s pace, that is more than two years of walking without a single day off. Here are the numbers so you can calculate it precisely.
How many miles is it to walk around the world
The short answer: 24,901 miles (40,075 km) along the equator. That is the distance of walking around the world in a theoretical straight line. The Earth is not a perfect sphere; it is slightly flattened at the poles, which is why the equatorial circumference is larger than the polar one.
- Equatorial circumference: 24,901 mi / 40,075 km
- Polar (meridional) circumference: 24,860 mi / 40,008 km
- Difference between the two: about 42 miles (67 km)
Why the Earth’s circumference has two values
The Earth’s rotation makes it bulge at the equator. The equatorial radius is about 6,378 km and the polar radius about 6,357 km. Since circumference depends on the radius, the equatorial route is slightly longer. For a walk, that 67 km difference is about two days of marching.
How long it takes to walk around the world
It depends on your daily pace. An experienced hiker can keep up 20 to 30 km a day. With 40,075 km, the calculations are:
- 20 km a day: about 2,004 days (5.5 years)
- 25 km a day: about 1,603 days (4.4 years)
- 30 km a day: about 1,336 days (3.7 years)
- 40 km a day: about 1,002 days (2.7 years)
These figures include no rest days. If you rest one day out of every seven, add about 17% more time.
How many steps is it
With an average stride of 0.75 m, one kilometer is about 1,333 steps. Multiplied by 40,075 km, that comes to roughly 53.4 million steps. If you want a feel for a fraction of that number, see what distance you would cover by walking a million steps: it would be barely 1.9% of the trip around the world.
A step-by-step calculation example
Imagine you walk 6 hours a day at 4.5 km/h. You cover 27 km daily. Divide 40,075 by 27 and you get 1,484 days, about 4.1 years. Change the speed or the hours and repeat the operation: total distance ÷ km per day = days needed.
The ocean problem
Walking exactly along the equator is impossible: much of the line crosses open sea. Roughly 71% of the Earth’s surface is water, and the equator runs over ocean for most of its length. A real route forces you to detour or use boats or flights, which is why the actual distance usually differs from the theoretical 40,075 km.
How far those who really tried have walked
Walkers who have completed a circumnavigation over land usually exceed 45,000 km, because they follow roads, avoid restricted areas and trace winding routes. They also have to cross oceans by other means, so the truth is that the distance walked depends on the chosen route and not only on the circumference.
To put it in perspective
Going around the world equals about 950 marathons (42.195 km each). If you enjoy these comparisons, curious comparisons of size, weight and distance has more examples. And to convert your own kilometers to miles, you can multiply by 0.621371.
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it to walk around the world?
Along the equator it is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km). Following a meridian that passes through the poles, about 40,008 km (24,860 miles).
How long does it take to walk around the world?
Walking 25 km a day with no rest days, about 1,603 days, or 4.4 years. At 40 km a day it would be about 2.7 years.
How many steps does it take to go around the Earth?
With a 0.75 m stride, roughly 53.4 million steps to cover 40,075 km.
Can you walk around the world along the equator?
Not entirely, because most of the equator crosses oceans. You have to detour or cross the sea by other means.
How many miles is it around the world?
The equatorial circumference equals 24,901 miles and the polar one 24,860 miles.