What is mile?

A mile is a unit of length in a number of different systems, including in the imperial units and United States customary units. Historically, it was based on the distance a Roman legion could march in 1,000 paces (mille passus).

Several definitions of the mile are in use today, the most common being the statute mile (or land mile) of 5,280 feet (1,609 meters). The nautical mile is also commonly used, especially in aviation and maritime contexts, and is approximately 1,852 meters (about 1.15 statute miles).

Other variations include the survey mile, which varies slightly depending on the state or country. The mile is often used for measuring distances between geographical locations on land.