Updated October 2026
How it works
Annual mileage is distance divided by time, scaled to a year. The calculator does it two ways, and the first is better whenever you can use it.
Miles a year = (reading2 − reading1) ÷ days × 365
Weekly method: (commute × 2 × days + other miles) × weeks you drive.
Two odometer readings measure what you actually did. The earlier reading does not need to be one you wrote down on purpose. Oil change stickers, service invoices, state inspection reports and the photo you took when you bought the car all carry an odometer figure and a date.
A typical week is an estimate, and estimates run low. People remember the commute and forget the school run, the Saturday errands and the trip to their parents. If the two methods disagree, believe the odometer.
Worked examples
| Case | Working | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Odometer: 41,250 to 44,380 over 90 days | 3,130 ÷ 90 × 365 | 12,694 mi |
| Odometer: 18,020 to 29,900 over 300 days | 11,880 ÷ 300 × 365 | 14,454 mi |
| Week: 15 mi commute, 5 days, 60 mi other, 48 weeks | (15 × 2 × 5 + 60) × 48 | 10,080 mi |
| Week: 25 km commute, 3 days, 80 km other, 46 weeks | (25 × 2 × 3 + 80) × 46 | 10,580 km |
The first case on a 12,000 mile lease is 694 miles over a year. At 25 cents a mile that is $173 a year, or $520 across a three year lease. Not a disaster, but worth knowing in year one rather than at the dealer in year three.
Average miles per year
The Federal Highway Administration puts the average at about 13,500 miles per licensed driver. The spread around it is wide:
| Driver | Typical range |
|---|---|
| City resident, short or no commute | 5,000 to 9,000 |
| Suburban commuter | 11,000 to 15,000 |
| Rural driver or long commute | 15,000 to 22,000 |
| Sales rep, field technician | 25,000 and up |
Used car buyers use the same yardstick in reverse. A five-year-old car with 40,000 miles has done 8,000 a year, which is light. With 90,000 it has done 18,000, which is fine for a highway car and a lot for a city one.
Checking a lease allowance
Leases come in 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000 mile a year allowances, and the overage fee is in the contract, usually 15 to 30 cents a mile. Run the calculator three months in. If the projection is over, you have options while they are still cheap: buy extra miles from the leasing company, shift some driving to another car, or plan to buy the car at the end instead of returning it.
Mileage also drives your fuel bill directly. 12,700 miles at 28 MPG and $3.20 a gallon is about $1,450 a year. The gas calculator works it out for your own figures.