How Many Feet in a 1/4 Mile? 1,320 Feet Explained
Last Updated on October 21, 2026 by Albert Duke
A quarter mile is exactly 1,320 feet. That is one mile (5,280 feet) divided by four, which also equals 440 yards or 402.336 meters. The distance matters most in drag racing, where the 1/4 mile is the standard test of how fast a car accelerates.
This guide covers the common conversions, how long 1,320 feet takes at different speeds, and what real cars run. If you searched “1/4 mil” instead, a later section covers that spelling.
How Many Yards and Meters Are in a Quarter Mile
A quarter mile is 1,320 feet, 440 yards, 15,840 inches, 402.336 meters, or 0.402 kilometers. The statute mile is defined as exactly 5,280 feet, or 1,609.344 meters, according to <a href=”https://www.nist.gov/node/1582061″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>NIST’s unit conversion factors</a>, so dividing by four gives the quarter mile.
1/4 Mile at a Glance
1/4 mile = 1,320 feetDistance conversions
| Unit | 1/4 mile equals |
|---|---|
| Feet | 1,320 |
| Yards | 440 |
| Inches | 15,840 |
| Meters | 402.336 |
| Kilometers | 0.402 |
Time to cover 1,320 feet at a constant speed
| Speed | Feet per second | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 30 mph | 44.0 | 30.0 s |
| 45 mph | 66.0 | 20.0 s |
| 60 mph | 88.0 | 15.0 s |
| 100 mph | 146.7 | 9.0 s |
Constant-speed math. Real drag runs start from a stop, so average speed is lower than the finish-line speed. Based on 5,280 feet per mile.
Other common fractions follow the same math. A 1/8 mile is 660 feet, a 1/2 mile is 2,640 feet, and a full mile is 5,280 feet.
Guesses like 1,000 feet or 660 feet for a quarter mile are wrong. The first is a different drag strip length, covered next, and the second is an eighth of a mile.
Why NHRA Drag Strips Run 1,000 or 1,320 Feet
Not every drag strip is a full quarter mile. Tracks are built to three standard lengths, and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) uses more than one of them.
| Strip length | Distance in feet |
|---|---|
| 1/8 mile | 660 |
| Shortened nitro distance | 1,000 |
| 1/4 mile | 1,320 |
NHRA cut its Top Fuel and Funny Car classes from 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet starting at the Mile-High Nationals in 2008. The change followed the death of driver Scott Kalitta at that year’s Englishtown, New Jersey event, <a href=”https://www.nhra.com/news/2025/when-did-we-start-doing-tracking-some-biggest-changes-our-sport” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>according to NHRA</a>.
Those nitro classes have stayed at the shorter distance in the years since.
Cars you can buy are still judged on the full 1,320 feet. Magazine acceleration tests, including the ones below, report the quarter mile time and the speed at the finish line.
Camry vs Accord vs Challenger Quarter Mile Times
Knowing the distance is only half the picture, because the time a car covers it in shows how long that car keeps accelerating. Elapsed time (ET) is how long the run takes. Trap speed is how fast the car is going as it crosses the finish line.
These are tested results from Car and Driver, compiled in the <a href=”https://www.0-60specs.com/dodge/challenger-0-60-times” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>0-60specs.com Car and Driver test results</a>:
| Car (tested year and trim) | Quarter mile ET | Trap speed |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Toyota Camry LE | 15.7 s | 92 mph |
| 2020 Toyota Camry TRD V6 | 14.2 s | 101 mph |
| 2023 Honda Accord EX | 15.7 s | 93 mph |
| 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody | 12.4 s | 114 mph |
| 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat | 11.7 s | 126 mph |
The Scat Pack row is a 485-hp 6.4-liter V8, and the same 12.4 second run appears in Car and Driver’s own Challenger vs. Charger comparison. To see how the Hellcat’s output compares, check our guide to the <a href=”https://carmechan.com/car-safety-and-performance/how-much-horsepower-does-a-hellcat-have/”>Hellcat’s horsepower rating</a>.
Treat any single run as a reference point. Weather, altitude, tires, and driver skill all change the result.
How Long Does a Quarter Mile Take at Any Speed
You can work out how long any car takes to cover 1,320 feet with one formula. Multiply your speed in mph by 1.4667 to get feet per second, then divide 1,320 by that number.
At a constant 30 mph, the quarter mile takes 30 seconds. At 45 mph it takes 20 seconds, at 60 mph it takes 15 seconds, and at 100 mph it takes 9 seconds.
A car launching from a stop is a different case. The 15.7 second Camry run works out to an average of about 57 mph over the full distance, even though the car finished at 92 mph. The 11.7 second Hellcat run averages about 77 mph with a 126 mph finish.
Divide 1,320 by any ET to get average feet per second, then convert to mph.
To measure a quarter mile yourself, use a GPS app or a marked, closed strip. Check how your trip meter displays distance first, and if it only shows tenths of a mile, GPS will be more accurate.
Do not test acceleration on public roads. For longer trips, our breakdown of <a href=”https://carmechan.com/car-safety-and-performance/how-long-is-10-miles-in-minutes/”>how long 10 miles takes in minutes</a> uses the same speed math.
Is a Quarter Mil the Same as a Quarter Mile
If you typed “1/4 mil,” you are asking about thickness, not distance. The one thousandth of an inch, equal to 0.0000254 meters.
That makes 1/4 mil equal to 0.00025 inch, or 0.00635 millimeter. In feet, that is about 0.0000208.
The unit is used for film, coatings, and wire. On cars it shows up in paint protection film and window tint film, which are sold by thickness in mils.
Do not confuse it with “mile,” the distance unit used everywhere else on this page.
1,320 Feet Is the Quarter Mile Answer
A 1/4 mile is 1,320 feet, or 440 yards and 402.336 meters. That single number drives every other figure on this page.
Drag strips are built to 660, 1,000, or 1,320 feet, and NHRA’s nitro classes race the shorter 1,000 feet. Tested street cars show how the distance plays out. A Camry LE covers it in 15.7 seconds, a Scat Pack in 12.4, and a Hellcat in 11.7.
Divide 1,320 by any elapsed time to find your average speed. If you meant 1/4 mil, that is 0.00025 inch, a thickness unit and not a distance. For a top speed comparison, see <a href=”https://carmechan.com/car-safety-and-performance/how-fast-does-a-tesla-go/”>how fast a Tesla goes</a>.
5 Quarter Mile Questions Answered
How many feet are in a quarter mile?
There are 1,320 feet in a quarter mile. Divide the 5,280 feet in a mile by four to get that number.
How many yards and meters is a quarter mile?
A quarter mile is 440 yards, or 402.336 meters. Divide 1,320 feet by three for yards, and multiply by 0.3048 for meters.
Why do NHRA nitro cars race 1,000 feet instead of 1,320?
NHRA shortened Top Fuel and Funny Car racing from 1,320 to 1,000 feet in 2008, after Scott Kalitta died in a crash at that year’s Englishtown event. Cars in other classes and magazine tests still use the full quarter mile.
How many laps of a track equal a quarter mile?
A standard outdoor track lap is 400 meters, about 1,312 feet. A quarter mile is 402.336 meters, so it is just over one lap, by roughly 2.3 meters.
How many feet are in 1/4 mil?
About 0.0000208 feet. One mil is 0.001 inch, so 1/4 mil is 0.00025 inch, and dividing that by 12 gives the figure in feet.
