How Many Flights of Stairs Equal a Mile?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 28, 2020

Just over 52 flights of stairs is equal to the distance of one mile. However, climbing stairs is twice as much exercise as walking on a flat surface. Within the same amount of time, slowly climbing stairs burns two to three times as many calories as walking quickly on a flat surface.

When walking, a mile contains about 2,000 steps. A standard flight of stairs has 10 steps. Going up a flight is about the same as walking 38 paces on a flat surface because the upward motion requires more effort. A Harvard study determined that men who averaged climbing eight flights of stairs a day had a lower death rate than men who averaged a daily 1.3-mile walk.