This page converts picas into miles using the factor 2.63047138e-06, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
The statute mile: 5,280 feet, used for road distance in the US, UK and a handful of others. Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into miles, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
2.63047138047e-06- The exact number of miles in one pica
miles- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 2.63047138047e-06, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in miles, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 20.2 pica in miles
At 20.2 pica (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in miles is 20.2 × 2.63047e-06 = 5.31355e-05 mi. One pica is 2.63047e-06 miles, so the numbers shrink as expected.
An Olympic pool: 1.18e+04 pica in miles
An Olympic pool comes to about 1.18e+04 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 1.18e+04 × 2.63047e-06 = 0.0310396 mi. Dividing the answer back by 2.63047e-06 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many miles are in one pica?
Exactly 2.63047138047e-06. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert picas to miles?
miles = picas × 2.63047138047e-06. Reversed, picas = miles ÷ 2.63047138047e-06, which is the same as multiplying by 380,160.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the mile?
The mile. One pica is only 2.63047e-06 of a mile, so it takes 380,160 picas to make one mile.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
What is a mile?
The statute mile: 5,280 feet, used for road distance in the US, UK and a handful of others.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pica to mi in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 380,000 instead of using the exact factor 0.000003. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.00026315789 miles, off by 0.000000 miles or about 0.04%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Picas to miles reference tables
| Picas | Miles |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 1.31524e-06 mi |
| 1 pica | 2.63047e-06 mi |
| 2 pica | 5.26094e-06 mi |
| 3 pica | 7.89141e-06 mi |
| 5 pica | 1.31524e-05 mi |
| 10 pica | 2.63047e-05 mi |
| 20 pica | 5.26094e-05 mi |
| 25 pica | 6.57618e-05 mi |
| 50 pica | 0.000131524 mi |
| 75 pica | 0.000197285 mi |
| 100 pica | 0.000263047 mi |
| 250 pica | 0.000657618 mi |
| 500 pica | 0.00131524 mi |
| 1000 pica | 0.00263047 mi |
| 5000 pica | 0.0131524 mi |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 2.63047138047e-06 miles.
| Quantity | pica | mi |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 5.319e-05 mi |
| A door height | 480 pica | 0.001263 mi |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 0.03107 mi |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 0.2051 mi |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 26.22 mi |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 7918 mi |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.