diff --git a/WebContent/OSRM.config.js b/WebContent/OSRM.config.js
index 730aa4115..5829ec679 100644
--- a/WebContent/OSRM.config.js
+++ b/WebContent/OSRM.config.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ OSRM.DEFAULTS = {
 	ONLOAD_SOURCE: "",
 	ONLOAD_TARGET: "",
 	HIGHLIGHT_ZOOM_LEVEL: 16,
+	DISTANCE_FORMAT: 0,														// 0: km, 1: miles
 	GEOCODER_BOUNDS: '',													// the world is not enough!
 	//GEOCODER_BOUNDS: '&bounded=1&viewbox=-27.0,72.0,46.0,36.0',			// bounds for Europe
 	
diff --git a/WebContent/gui/OSRM.RoutingGUI.js b/WebContent/gui/OSRM.RoutingGUI.js
index 808081692..f8674bbb9 100644
--- a/WebContent/gui/OSRM.RoutingGUI.js
+++ b/WebContent/gui/OSRM.RoutingGUI.js
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ OSRM.GUI.extend( {
 		
 // init
 init: function() {
+	// init variables
+	OSRM.G.DISTANCE_FORMAT = OSRM.DEFAULTS.DISTANCE_FORMAT;
+	
 	// init events
 	document.getElementById("gui-input-source").onchange = function() {OSRM.GUI.inputChanged(OSRM.C.SOURCE_LABEL);};
 	document.getElementById("gui-delete-source").onclick = function() {OSRM.GUI.deleteMarker(OSRM.C.SOURCE_LABEL);};
diff --git a/WebContent/printing/OSRM.Printing.js b/WebContent/printing/OSRM.Printing.js
index e00aaf855..5907af799 100644
--- a/WebContent/printing/OSRM.Printing.js
+++ b/WebContent/printing/OSRM.Printing.js
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@ show: function(response) {
 		'<div class="full">' +
 		'<div class="row">' +
 		'<div class="left description-header-label">' +  OSRM.loc("DISTANCE")+': </div>' +
-		'<div class="left description-header-content">' + OSRM.Utils.metersToDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance) + '</div>' +
+		'<div class="left description-header-content">' + OSRM.Utils.toHumanDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance) + '</div>' +
 		'</div>' +
 		'<div class="row">' +
 		'<div class="left description-header-label">' +  OSRM.loc("DURATION")+': </div>' +
-		'<div class="left description-header-content">' + OSRM.Utils.secondsToTime(response.route_summary.total_time) + '</div>' +
+		'<div class="left description-header-content">' + OSRM.Utils.toHumanTime(response.route_summary.total_time) + '</div>' +
 		'</div>' +
 		'</div>' +
 		'</div>' +
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ show: function(response) {
 		
 		body += '<td class="description-body-distance">';
 		if( i != response.route_instructions.length-1 )
-		body += '<b>'+OSRM.Utils.metersToDistance(response.route_instructions[i][2])+'</b>';
+		body += '<b>'+OSRM.Utils.toHumanDistance(response.route_instructions[i][2])+'</b>';
 		body += "</td>";
 		
 		body += "</tr>";
diff --git a/WebContent/routing/OSRM.RoutingDescription.js b/WebContent/routing/OSRM.RoutingDescription.js
index 54ad48a4c..5cfd4c779 100644
--- a/WebContent/routing/OSRM.RoutingDescription.js
+++ b/WebContent/routing/OSRM.RoutingDescription.js
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ show: function(response) {
 		
 		body += '<td class="description-body-distance">';
 		if( i != response.route_instructions.length-1 )
-		body += '<b>'+OSRM.Utils.metersToDistance(response.route_instructions[i][2])+'</b>';
+		body += '<b>'+OSRM.Utils.toHumanDistance(response.route_instructions[i][2])+'</b>';
 		body += "</td>";
 		
 		body += "</tr>";
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ show: function(response) {
 	body += '</table>';
 	
 	// build header
-	header = OSRM.RoutingDescription._buildHeader(OSRM.Utils.metersToDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance), OSRM.Utils.secondsToTime(response.route_summary.total_time), route_link, gpx_link);	
+	header = OSRM.RoutingDescription._buildHeader(OSRM.Utils.toHumanDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance), OSRM.Utils.toHumanTime(response.route_summary.total_time), route_link, gpx_link);	
 
 	// update DOM
 	document.getElementById('information-box-header').innerHTML = header;
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ show: function(response) {
 // simple description
 showSimple: function(response) {
 	// build header
-	header = OSRM.RoutingDescription._buildHeader(OSRM.Utils.metersToDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance), OSRM.Utils.secondsToTime(response.route_summary.total_time), "", "");
+	header = OSRM.RoutingDescription._buildHeader(OSRM.Utils.toHumanDistance(response.route_summary.total_distance), OSRM.Utils.toHumanTime(response.route_summary.total_time), "", "");
 
 	// update DOM
 	document.getElementById('information-box-header').innerHTML = header;
diff --git a/WebContent/utils/OSRM.Utils.js b/WebContent/utils/OSRM.Utils.js
index 9c4decdc7..b1147c259 100644
--- a/WebContent/utils/OSRM.Utils.js
+++ b/WebContent/utils/OSRM.Utils.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ OSRM.Utils = {
 // [human readabilty functions]
 
 // human readable time
-secondsToTime: function(seconds){
+toHumanTime: function(seconds){
    seconds = parseInt(seconds);
    minutes = parseInt(seconds/60);
    seconds = seconds%60;
@@ -38,13 +38,22 @@ secondsToTime: function(seconds){
    }
 },
 //human readable distance
-metersToDistance: function(distance){
-	distance = parseInt(distance);
+toHumanDistance: function(meters){
+	var distance = parseInt(meters);
 	
-	if(distance >= 100000){ return (parseInt(distance/1000))+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
-	else if(distance >= 10000){ return (parseInt(distance/1000).toFixed(1))+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
-	else if(distance >= 1000){ return (parseFloat(distance/1000).toFixed(2))+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
-	else{ return distance+'&nbsp;' + 'm'; }
+	if(OSRM.G.DISTANCE_FORMAT == 1) {	// miles
+		distance = distance / 1609.344;
+		if(distance >= 100){ return (distance).toFixed(0)+'&nbsp;' + 'mi'; }
+		else if(distance >= 10){ return (distance).toFixed(1)+'&nbsp;' + 'mi'; }
+		else if(distance >= 0.1){ return (distance).toFixed(2)+'&nbsp;' + 'mi'; }
+		else{ return (distance*5280).toFixed(0)+'&nbsp;' + 'ft'; }
+	} else {	// default to km, m
+		distance = distance / 1000;
+		if(distance >= 100){ return (distance).toFixed(0)+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
+		else if(distance >= 10){ return (distance).toFixed(1)+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
+		else if(distance >= 0.1){ return (distance).toFixed(2)+'&nbsp;' + 'km'; }
+		else{ return (distance*1000).toFixed(0)+'&nbsp;' + 'm'; }		
+	}
 },