How Long Does It Take to Walk 7 Miles?

Walking Time for 7 Miles at Different Paces

Seven miles puts you squarely in "distance walk" territory — longer than a 10K and approaching the commitment level of a half-day outing. Here are the exact times at six standard pace levels, derived from the Compendium of Physical Activities and CDC walking pace guidelines.

There's a satisfying landmark here: at a brisk 3.5 mph pace, 7 miles takes exactly 2 hours. That clean number makes brisk-pace walking easy to plan around — leave at 7:00 AM, return at 9:00 AM.

At moderate pace, 7 miles needs 20 more minutes than the 2-hour mark. That extra time matters when you're trying to fit a walk into a finite schedule.

How Long to Walk 7 Miles by Age

Seven miles amplifies age-based speed differences enough that they affect practical planning. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011), published in Physiotherapy:

Key takeaways:

• The 2-hour club: Men aged 20–59 and women aged 40–49 all finish under 2 hours 20 minutes. At peak speeds, men complete 7 miles in about 2 hours 11 minutes.
• The 2.5-hour mark: Women over 60 and men over 70 cross into 2.5-hour territory, which shifts the walk from a morning activity into something that eats a larger chunk of the day.
• Over 80: A 7-mile walk takes over 3 hours for adults aged 80+. At this duration, rest stops and careful planning are essential. Budget 3.5–4 hours total.

5 Real-World Examples

1. The Point-to-Point Adventure

Mia, 34, walks 7 miles from her neighborhood to a waterfront market across town every other Saturday, then takes the bus home. At a moderate 3.0 mph pace, the walk takes 2 hours 20 minutes — she leaves at 8:00 AM and arrives by 10:20 AM, just as the market opens. According to Bohannon & Andrews (2011), women aged 30–39 walk at 3.0 mph naturally, so Mia doesn't have to push beyond her comfort zone.

At 130 lbs, she burns approximately 483 calories (130 × 0.53 × 7) and logs about 15,764 steps (2,252 × 7). The one-way walk eliminates the "out-and-back boredom" that kills motivation on longer distances.

2. The Walking Meeting Group

Sam, 46, leads a weekly Saturday "walk and talk" with three friends. Their 7-mile route loops through two parks and a downtown corridor. Walking at a group-pace of about 2.8 mph (slightly below Sam's natural 3.20 mph due to the group's mixed speeds), the walk takes roughly 2 hours 30 minutes.

They've built in a planned coffee stop at mile 4, adding 15 minutes and splitting the walk into manageable halves. Total outing time: about 2 hours 45 minutes — a social event that doubles as serious exercise.

3. The Half-Marathon Training Walk

Aaron, 26, is building toward walking a half marathon (13.1 miles) and uses a 7-mile walk as his mid-training benchmark. At a brisk 3.5 mph training pace, he finishes in exactly 2 hours. He uses the walk to test his hydration strategy: one water bottle consumed by mile 3.5, refilled at a fountain, finished by mile 7.

At this distance, Aaron starts to feel genuine fatigue in his calves during the final mile — confirming that 7 miles is the threshold where his endurance needs further development. He logs 7 miles every weekend, building toward 9, then 11, then the full 13.1.

4. The Tourist's Full-Day Walk

Renata, 57, tracks her walking during a vacation day in a historic city. Between the hotel, a cathedral, a museum district, lunch in a different neighborhood, and an evening riverfront stroll, her phone logs 7.3 miles by 8:00 PM. She walked at a leisurely 2.0–2.5 mph pace with frequent stops.

Her total moving time was about 2 hours 45 minutes, spread across 10 hours of sightseeing. At 170 lbs, Renata burned roughly 631 calories from walking alone (170 × 0.53 × 7). Most people don't realize how far they walk on active vacation days — 7 miles is typical for a full day of city exploration.

5. The Competitive Charity Walker

Phil, 62, enters organized 7-mile charity walks twice a year. His comfortable speed of 3.00 mph (Bohannon data, men aged 60–69) gives him a baseline time of 2 hours 20 minutes, but event conditions — crowds, aid stations, brief socializing — typically push his actual finish to about 2 hours 35 minutes.

Phil trains specifically for these events by walking 4–5 miles three times per week and doing one 6-mile walk on weekends. At 190 lbs, his 7-mile event burns roughly 705 calories (190 × 0.53 × 7) and logs about 15,764 steps.

What Affects Your 7-Mile Walking Time?

At 7 miles, you're walking long enough for compounding factors to add meaningful time. Plan for them rather than being surprised.

Fatigue creates a two-phase walk. Most people maintain their normal pace through miles 1–5, then slow by 5–10% for miles 6–7. If your normal pace is 20 min/mile (3.0 mph), expect miles 6 and 7 to take 21–22 minutes each, adding 2–4 minutes to your total.

Fueling matters at this duration. A 2+ hour walk depletes glycogen, especially if you walk before eating. Having a small snack before or during the walk — a banana, an energy bar, a handful of trail mix around mile 4 — helps maintain pace in the second half.

Weather has a compounding effect. In heat above 80°F, walking pace typically drops 5–10% while perceived effort increases. In cold or windy conditions, bundling up can restrict stride. At 7 miles, these small per-mile effects add 10–15 minutes.

Surface and terrain are amplified. The Compendium of Physical Activities rates flat walking at MET 3.5 but uphill walking (6–15% grade) at MET 8.0. A hilly 7-mile route might add 25–45 minutes over flat terrain and substantially increase calorie burn.

7 Miles in Steps and Calories

Steps

At a moderate 3.0 mph pace, 7 miles equals approximately 15,764 steps, based on the ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) figure of ~2,252 steps per mile. By height:

Seven miles is roughly 1.5–2× the popular 10,000-step target, depending on your height. A single 7-mile walk puts you far beyond any reasonable daily step goal.

Calories Burned

Using the Compendium formula (body weight in lbs × 0.53 per mile × 7 miles):

At MET 3.5 for flat moderate walking, 7 miles produces a substantial calorie burn. A 200-lb person walking 7 miles burns 742 calories — comparable to running 5 miles at a moderate jogging pace (body weight × 0.75 × 5 = 750 cal).

The CDC benchmark of 280 calories per hour for a 154-lb person at moderate pace translates to about 653 calories over a 2:20 walk.

Tips for Walking 7 Miles

Seven miles requires more intention than a quick daily walk but less gear and planning than a hike. Think of it as the longest walk you can do with minimal equipment.

Plan one break. A 5–10 minute sit-down around miles 3.5–4 splits the walk into two manageable halves. Your legs will thank you during miles 5–7.

Bring a small water bottle. Two hours and 20 minutes of walking — more if you're slower — warrants hydration. A 500ml bottle is enough for moderate temperatures.

Wear shoes you've tested at 4+ miles. At 7 miles, shoes that feel great at 2 miles can reveal pressure points. If you haven't walked this far in your current pair, do a 5-mile test run first.

Go point-to-point when possible. Seven miles is long enough for out-and-back loops to feel tedious on the return. Walking to a destination — a restaurant, a friend's house, a transit stop — makes the distance more enjoyable and gives you a natural endpoint.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk 7 miles on a treadmill?

At 3.0 mph, a treadmill walk of 7 miles takes exactly 2 hours 20 minutes. At 3.5 mph, it's a clean 2 hours; at 4.0 mph, 1 hour 45 minutes.

Two-plus hours on a treadmill is a serious mental commitment. Consider breaking it into two sessions if the monotony is too much, or varying your incline every 10–15 minutes to keep your mind engaged.

Is walking 7 miles a day good exercise?

Walking 7 miles daily is an exceptional amount of exercise by any standard. At moderate pace, it takes 2 hours 20 minutes per day, totaling over 16 hours of activity per week — more than 6× the CDC's recommended 150 minutes.

For most people, 7 miles is better suited as a weekly long walk than a daily habit. Done 2–3 times per week alongside shorter daily walks, it provides extraordinary cardiovascular and metabolic benefits without the time burden of 2+ hours every day.

How many steps is 7 miles?

Seven miles equals approximately 15,764 steps at a moderate 3.0 mph pace, based on ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008) data. At a brisk 4.0 mph, the count drops to about 13,545 steps (1,935 per mile) due to longer stride length.

By height, 7 miles ranges from about 13,895 steps (6'4") to 17,598 steps (5'0"). That's 1.5–1.75× the popular 10,000-step daily benchmark.

How long would it take a senior to walk 7 miles?

For adults aged 60–69, Bohannon & Andrews (2011) data puts the 7-mile time at 2 hours 20 minutes (men) and about 2 hours 32 minutes (women). For adults aged 70–79, expect approximately 2 hours 29 minutes (men) and 2 hours 46 minutes (women).

With 1–2 rest stops of 10 minutes each, budget an additional 10–20 minutes. Seven miles is a serious distance for older adults — build up gradually and walk it only if you're comfortable at 5 miles first.

How does walking 7 miles compare to running it?

A recreational runner at a 10:00 min/mile pace covers 7 miles in 1 hour 10 minutes — about half the time of a moderate walker. A beginner runner at 12:00 min/mile finishes in 1 hour 24 minutes.

The calorie comparison: walking 7 miles burns about 557 calories for a 150-lb person (body weight × 0.53 × 7), while running burns about 788 calories (body weight × 0.75 × 7). Walking takes longer but is far more joint-friendly, and most people can walk 7 miles without any specific running training.

Related Pages

• How Long to Walk 6 Miles — one mile shorter, roughly a 10K
• How Long to Walk 8 Miles — one mile longer
• How Long to Walk 5 Miles — a popular mid-range distance
• How Far Can I Walk in 2 Hours? — at brisk pace, you'd cover 7 miles
• How Long to Run 7 Miles — running comparison
• Walking Time Calculator — calculate any distance

Sources Cited

1. Bohannon, R.W. & Andrews, A.W. (2011). "Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis." Physiotherapy, 97(3), 182–189. PubMed: 21820535
2. Bohannon, R.W. (1997). "Comfortable and maximum walking speed of adults aged 20–79 years." Age and Ageing, 26(1), 15–19. Oxford Academic
3. CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018). health.gov
4. Compendium of Physical Activities — MET values. compendiumofphysicalactivities.com
5. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (2008). Step counts per mile at various speeds.