A mile is a unit of length commonly used in the United States and the United Kingdom, defined as exactly 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. In metric terms, one mile equals exactly 1,609.344 meters, or approximately 1.609 kilometers

. This measurement is known as the international or statute mile and was standardized by agreement between the Commonwealth nations and the United States in 1959

. The mile originated from the Roman "mille passus," meaning a thousand paces, and has been used historically in various forms

. In practical terms, a mile is roughly equivalent to:

• About 1.6 kilometers
• The length of a small airport runway
• Twice the height of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper (828 meters × 2 ≈ 1,656 meters, just over a mile)

Thus, a mile is a fixed distance of 5,280 feet or 1,609.344 meters.