A city block in the US is usually 260 to 900 feet long (about 80 to 275 m). In Manhattan, for example, the walk between two cross streets is about 264 ft, so 20 make a mile. Chicago, however, uses 660 ft spacing (8 per mile), while downtown Portland squares are only 200 ft on a side.
Convert a Block to Feet, Meters and Miles
Enter a length in feet, and the converter then shows it in meters, miles, yards and kilometers. Also, the default of 264 ft is one Manhattan street-to-street distance, which is also exactly 1/20 of a mile. So if your city uses a bigger grid, type in its number instead.
“It’s about five blocks from here” sounds precise. In practice, though, the word is not a unit of measurement at all. Instead, it means the distance from one cross street to the next, and every city drew its own grid. As a result, the same phrase can mean a quarter mile in New York or more than half a mile in Chicago.
Even so, most US grids fall into a few familiar sizes. For example, the standard Manhattan block measures about 264 by 900 feet, according to the Wikipedia overview of city grids and the planning history it cites. Similarly, a typical Chicago grid square is 330 by 660 feet. Because of that, the useful question is not just the length, but which city you mean and whether you are walking along a street or across an avenue.
City Block Length by City
The chart below lists common grid sizes in the US, plus one overseas example. First, the feet values come from the original street plans. Then we converted them to meters and walking times. In addition, “blocks per mile” counts the street width, since that is how people actually walk.
| City and direction | Typical length | Metric | Per mile | Walk at 3 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, street to street (north-south) | about 264 ft | 80.5 m | 20 | about 1 min |
| Manhattan, avenue to avenue (east-west) | about 600 to 920 ft | 185 to 280 m | about 6 to 9 | 2.3 to 3.5 min |
| Chicago, long side | 660 ft | 201.2 m | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Chicago, short side | 330 ft | 100.6 m | 16 | 1.25 min |
| Portland, Oregon (downtown) | 200 ft (264 ft with the street) | 61 m | 20 | about 1 min |
| Salt Lake City (downtown) | about 660 ft | 201 m | about 8 | about 2.5 min |
| Melbourne, Australia (central grid) | 330 by 660 ft | 100 by 200 m | 8 to 16 | 1.25 to 2.5 min |
Downtown Portland is a neat case. Its squares are 200 feet on a side, with 64-foot streets, so one square plus one street adds up to 264 ft. As a result, Portland and Manhattan both work out to about 20 per mile, even though the buildings in Portland sit on much smaller lots.
Recommended Tools for Measuring Distance on Foot
In general, you do not need special gear to estimate distance on foot. Still, a measuring wheel gives you a real number for a sidewalk, a street or a property line. First, look for a wheel with a clear counter in feet and a reset button. Next, choose a larger wheel (12 inches or more) if you will roll it over cracks and curbs. Finally, a simple pedometer helps if you just want to count steps.
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Street vs Avenue: Which Block Do People Mean?
Most confusion comes from mixing up a few different things. For instance, a New Yorker who says “three blocks” usually means three short hops between streets, not three long avenue walks. Therefore, the table separates the terms.
| Term | What it means | Manhattan example |
|---|---|---|
| Street to street | Distance between two numbered cross streets | About 260 to 264 ft (200 ft of buildings plus a 60 ft street) |
| Avenue to avenue | Distance between two avenues | About 610 to 920 ft, depending on the avenues |
| Block (the land) | The area of buildings enclosed by four streets | About 200 ft deep by 600 to 920 ft long |
| Per mile | How many cross streets you pass in 5,280 ft | About 20 streets, or roughly 6 to 9 avenues |
In fact, the numbers trace back to the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811. Specifically, that plan put about 200 feet between each pair of streets and made the streets 60 feet wide. So each strip of buildings plus its street comes to about 260 ft, which gives almost exactly 20 per mile. The avenue gaps, by contrast, ranged from 610 ft to 920 ft. For a refresher on how feet, yards and miles relate, see how many yards are in a mile.
How Long Does It Take to Walk a Block?
To begin with, at 3 mph, a steady walking pace, you cover exactly 264 feet per minute (3 x 5,280 / 60). Conveniently, that is one Manhattan street-to-street hop. So a short block takes about 1 minute, and 20 of them take about 20 minutes.
| Length | At 2.5 mph (relaxed) | At 3 mph (steady) | Steps (2.5 ft stride) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 ft | 0.9 min | 0.8 min | about 80 |
| 264 ft | 1.2 min | 1.0 min | about 106 |
| 330 ft | 1.5 min | 1.25 min | about 132 |
| 660 ft | 3.0 min | 2.5 min | about 264 |
| 900 ft | 4.1 min | 3.4 min | about 360 |
Real walks take longer, of course, because you stop at crossings. Even so, the table gives a fair baseline for planning. For longer distances, our guide on how long it takes to walk 5 miles covers different paces.
How to Measure a Block Yourself
- Pick two corners. First, stand at the curb line of one cross street and choose the next cross street as your end point.
- Decide what to include. Measure corner to corner for the buildings alone, or curb to the next curb on the same side to include the street.
- Zero your measuring wheel. Next, reset the counter and set the wheel down exactly at your start mark.
- Walk at an even pace. Push the wheel in a straight line along the sidewalk and keep it on the ground over cracks.
- Read the counter at the end. Note the distance in feet, then enter it in the converter above for meters and miles.
- Check it twice. Walk back and measure again; if the two readings differ by more than a few feet, average them.
No wheel? Then count your steps instead. First, measure your stride over a known distance, for example 100 ft. Then multiply your step count by that stride length.
Why Lengths Vary From City to City
In short, grid size reflects when and how a city grew. For example, Philadelphia, Savannah and Manhattan used planned grids from the start. Chicago, meanwhile, followed the federal land survey, which split land into miles and fractions of miles. That is why a Chicago mile divides so neatly into 8 long segments.
Salt Lake City, by contrast, went the other way. Its founders gave the city large squares of roughly 660 ft on each side and very wide streets. Portland, on the other hand, chose small 200 ft squares to create more corner lots, which also made downtown easy to walk. In addition, many suburbs skip the grid entirely, so their gaps between intersections can stretch a quarter mile or more.
Do and Don’t When Estimating Walking Distance
Do
- Ask which city the directions refer to.
- Count streets and avenues separately.
- Use 264 ft as a default, unless you know the city.
- Include street crossings when you count per mile.
- Measure with a wheel when the number matters.
Don’t
- Assume a suburb matches a downtown grid.
- Mix up a land parcel with a walking distance.
- Treat the word as an official unit.
- Forget that stoplights also add time to every walk.
- Rely on rough counts for legal or survey work.
Honest Limits of These Numbers
Above all, the figures on this page describe planned grids, not every street. In fact, real grids shift with diagonal roads, parks, rivers and later street changes. Broadway, for example, cuts across the Manhattan grid at an angle. Also, sources differ on whether a length includes the street, which explains why you will see both 200 ft and 264 ft for the same Portland square. Finally, walking times assume a steady pace with no waiting at lights. In short, use the numbers as good estimates, and measure when you need a precise figure.
When Accuracy Really Matters
For giving directions or planning a stroll, these estimates work fine. However, a few situations need real measurements:
- Property and zoning. Instead, lot dimensions come from the recorded plat or a licensed land surveyor, not from rough counts.
- Distance rules. Some local rules set minimum distances, for instance between certain businesses and schools. These rules use measured feet, so check the exact wording with the city.
- Training and fitness. If you track mileage for training, measure your route with a wheel, a GPS watch or a mapping app instead of counting corners.
Block Length FAQs
How long is a city block in feet?
Most US city blocks run 260 to 900 feet. For example, Manhattan streets sit about 264 ft apart, Chicago uses 660 ft on the long side, and downtown Portland uses 200 ft squares.
How many city blocks are in a mile?
It depends on the city. Manhattan and Portland have about 20 short ones per mile, whereas Chicago has 8 long ones. Manhattan avenues, meanwhile, come to roughly 6 to 9 per mile.
How long is a block in meters?
A 264 ft block is about 80.5 m. Similarly, 660 ft in Chicago is about 201 m, and 200 ft in Portland is about 61 m.
How long does it take to walk one city block?
About 1 minute for a 264 ft block at 3 mph. A 660 ft stretch takes about 2.5 minutes at the same pace, plus any time waiting at crossings.
How long is a block in New York City?
Going north-south, cross streets sit about 264 ft apart, so 20 make a mile. Going east-west, however, the gap between avenues is much longer, about 600 to 920 ft.
What size is the Chicago grid?
The long side of a typical Chicago block is 660 ft, or 1/8 mile. The short side, by contrast, is 330 ft, so 16 of those make a mile.
Is a city block a quarter mile?
No. A quarter mile is 1,320 ft, which equals about 5 Manhattan streets or 2 long Chicago sides.
How many steps are in a city block?
With a 2.5 ft stride, a 264 ft block takes about 106 steps. Measure your own stride for a better estimate.
Why are Portland’s squares so small?
Portland chose 200 ft squares to create more corner lots. As a result, downtown is also easy to walk.
Is a block an official unit of length?
No. It simply means the distance between cross streets, so it changes from city to city. Official lengths use feet, meters and miles.
The Bottom Line on Block Length
To sum up, there is no single block length. A good default is 264 ft, or 1/20 of a mile, which matches Manhattan streets and downtown Portland. Chicago and Salt Lake City, by contrast, use about 660 ft, and Manhattan avenues stretch to 920 ft apart.
So when distance matters, ask which city and which direction, and then use the converter above. Better yet, roll a measuring wheel along the route and get the real number.