How do I convert meters to kilometers?

Divide the number of meters by 1,000. For example, 5,280 meters ÷ 1,000 = 5.28 kilometers. Simply move the decimal point three places to the left.

How many meters is 1 kilometer?

One kilometer equals exactly 1,000 meters. The conversion works both ways: multiply km by 1,000 to get meters, divide meters by 1,000 to get km.

Is 1,500 meters the same as 1.5 kilometers?

Yes, exactly. 1,500 meters = 1.5 kilometers. The metric 1,500-meter race in athletics is sometimes called 'the metric mile' though it's actually about 109 meters short of a mile.

Meters to Kilometers (m to km) Converter

1 m = 0.001 km

1 Meter equals 0.001 Kilometers (1 m = 0.001 km). Convert Meters to Kilometers with formula, table, and examples.

One meter equals exactly 0.001 kilometers. Converting meters to kilometers is common when aggregating shorter measurements into travel distances, summarizing race segments, or expressing altitudes and depths in more convenient kilometer units.

How to Convert Meters to Kilometers

km = m ÷ 1,000

Divide the value in Meters by 1,000

Take your value in Meters
Divide by 1,000
Read the result in Kilometers

Common Meters to Kilometers Conversions

Meters (m)	Kilometers (km)	Status
0.5 m	0.0005 km
1 m	0.001 km
2 m	0.002 km
5 m	0.005 km
10 m	0.01 km
50 m	0.05 km
100 m	0.1 km
200 m	0.2 km
500 m	0.5 km
1,000 m	1 km
2,000 m	2 km
5,000 m	5 km
10,000 m	10 km
42,195 m	42.195 km

Good to Know About Meters to Kilometers Conversion

The metric system's beauty is that every conversion is a factor of 10. Meters to kilometers is ÷1,000, meters to centimeters is ×100, meters to millimeters is ×1,000. No memorizing 12 inches per foot or 5,280 feet per mile.

Meters to Kilometers: What You Need to Know

Mount Everest at 8,849 meters is 8.849 km above sea level. A 400-meter running track means 2.5 laps equals 1 kilometer. When hiking, trail segments measured in meters add up to total distance in kilometers. Building heights given in meters convert to fractions of a kilometer for dramatic comparison - the Burj Khalifa at 828 m is 0.828 km.

What is a Meter? m

The base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Used worldwide as the standard measure of distance.

Metric construction athletics navigation

Learn more about Meter →

What is a Kilometer? km

A metric unit of length equal to 1000 meters. The standard unit for measuring road distances and geographic distances in most countries.

Metric road distances geography running

Learn more about Kilometer →

Going the other way? Use our Kilometers to Meters converter.

Meters to Kilometers FAQ

Divide the number of meters by 1,000. For example, 5,280 meters ÷ 1,000 = 5.28 kilometers. Simply move the decimal point three places to the left.
One kilometer equals exactly 1,000 meters. The conversion works both ways: multiply km by 1,000 to get meters, divide meters by 1,000 to get km.
Yes, exactly. 1,500 meters = 1.5 kilometers. The metric 1,500-meter race in athletics is sometimes called 'the metric mile' though it's actually about 109 meters short of a mile.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Meters to Kilometers

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

The kilometer is the meter scaled up 1,000 times. Napoleon actually helped spread the metric system across Europe. So yes, the kilometer has a Napoleon complex - but Napoleon succeeded. The kilometer is used in every country except the US, Myanmar, and Liberia.