26.9" tall, 8.5" wide, 5.9" sidewall
A 215/70R15 tire is 26.9 inches (682 mm) tall and 8.5 inches wide. The sidewall is 70% of the width, 5.9 inches, on a 15-inch wheel, and the tire turns about 751 times per mile.
In flotation terms that is about 26.9x8.5R15. People often call it a 27-inch tire.
The size most often compared with it is 235/60R15, which is 0.7" shorter (−2.8%). At an indicated 60 mph you would be doing 58.3 mph on it.
| Current | New | Difference |
|---|
| Shows | Actual speed |
|---|
Same 15" wheel, within 20 mm of width and 10 points of aspect ratio.
| Size | Diameter | Width | Sidewall | vs 215/70R15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/65R15 | 27.0" | 9.3" | 6.0" | +0.7% | |
| 195/80R15 | 27.3" | 7.7" | 6.1" | +1.6% | |
| 205/70R15 | 26.3" | 8.1" | 5.6" | −2.1% | |
| 225/70R15 | 27.4" | 8.9" | 6.2" | +2.1% | |
| 235/60R15 | 26.1" | 9.3" | 5.6" | −2.8% | compare |
| 215/65R15 | 26.0" | 8.5" | 5.5" | −3.2% | |
| 215/75R15 | 27.7" | 8.5" | 6.3" | +3.2% | |
| 235/70R15 | 28.0" | 9.3" | 6.5" | +4.1% | |
| 225/60R15 | 25.6" | 8.9" | 5.3" | −4.5% | |
| 215/80R15 | 28.5" | 8.5" | 6.8" | +6.3% |
Sizes within 2% of 26.9" on 14" or 17" wheels.
| Size | Diameter | Width | Sidewall | vs 215/70R15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/75R14 | 26.7" | 8.5" | 6.3" | −0.6% | |
| 205/60R17 | 26.7" | 8.1" | 4.8" | −0.6% | |
| 255/65R14 | 27.1" | 10.0" | 6.5" | +0.7% | |
| 305/40R17 | 26.6" | 12.0" | 4.8" | −0.9% | |
| 285/45R17 | 27.1" | 11.2" | 5.0" | +0.9% |
Actual speed when the speedometer is calibrated for 215/70R15.
| Speedometer shows | on 235/60R15 | on 235/65R15 | on 195/80R15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 mph | 29.2 mph | 30.2 mph | 30.5 mph |
| 45 mph | 43.7 mph | 45.3 mph | 45.7 mph |
| 60 mph | 58.3 mph | 60.4 mph | 61.0 mph |
| 70 mph | 68.0 mph | 70.5 mph | 71.1 mph |
26.9 inches (682 mm). The sidewall is 5.9 inches.
8.5 inches (215 mm) section width, measured sidewall to sidewall.
About 26.9x8.5R15.
235/60R15 is −2.8% in diameter, within the common 3% guideline. It is 0.8" wider.