Knots to MPH Converter
Convert knots to miles per hour and km/h, nautical miles to statute miles, and solve distance, speed, and time for a passage. One knot equals exactly 1.15078 mph, because a nautical mile (1,852 m) is longer than a statute mile (1,609 m).
Knots to MPH conversion table
Quick reference for common boat speeds. Multiply knots by 1.15078 for mph, or by 1.852 for km/h.
| Knots | MPH | km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.15 | 1.85 |
| 2 | 2.30 | 3.70 |
| 3 | 3.45 | 5.56 |
| 4 | 4.60 | 7.41 |
| 5 | 5.75 | 9.26 |
| 6 | 6.90 | 11.11 |
| 7 | 8.06 | 12.96 |
| 8 | 9.21 | 14.82 |
| 9 | 10.36 | 16.67 |
| 10 | 11.51 | 18.52 |
| 11 | 12.66 | 20.37 |
| 12 | 13.81 | 22.22 |
| 13 | 14.96 | 24.08 |
| 14 | 16.11 | 25.93 |
| 15 | 17.26 | 27.78 |
| 16 | 18.41 | 29.63 |
| 17 | 19.56 | 31.48 |
| 18 | 20.71 | 33.34 |
| 19 | 21.86 | 35.19 |
| 20 | 23.02 | 37.04 |
| 21 | 24.17 | 38.89 |
| 22 | 25.32 | 40.74 |
| 23 | 26.47 | 42.60 |
| 24 | 27.62 | 44.45 |
| 25 | 28.77 | 46.30 |
| Knots | MPH | km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 29.92 | 48.15 |
| 27 | 31.07 | 50.00 |
| 28 | 32.22 | 51.86 |
| 29 | 33.37 | 53.71 |
| 30 | 34.52 | 55.56 |
| 31 | 35.67 | 57.41 |
| 32 | 36.82 | 59.26 |
| 33 | 37.98 | 61.12 |
| 34 | 39.13 | 62.97 |
| 35 | 40.28 | 64.82 |
| 36 | 41.43 | 66.67 |
| 37 | 42.58 | 68.52 |
| 38 | 43.73 | 70.38 |
| 39 | 44.88 | 72.23 |
| 40 | 46.03 | 74.08 |
| 41 | 47.18 | 75.93 |
| 42 | 48.33 | 77.78 |
| 43 | 49.48 | 79.64 |
| 44 | 50.63 | 81.49 |
| 45 | 51.79 | 83.34 |
| 46 | 52.94 | 85.19 |
| 47 | 54.09 | 87.04 |
| 48 | 55.24 | 88.90 |
| 49 | 56.39 | 90.75 |
| 50 | 57.54 | 92.60 |
Knots and nautical miles FAQ
How fast is 1 knot in mph?
1 knot is 1.15078 miles per hour, or 1.852 km/h. A knot is one nautical mile per hour, and the nautical mile is defined as exactly 1,852 meters.
How fast is 20 knots in mph?
20 knots is 23.02 mph, or 37.04 km/h. That is a comfortable cruise for many planing powerboats.
Why do boats use knots instead of mph?
A nautical mile is one minute of latitude, so speeds in knots translate directly onto charts: a boat making 6 knots covers 6 minutes of latitude in an hour. The name comes from the knotted log line sailors paid out to measure speed.
Is a nautical mile longer than a regular mile?
Yes. A nautical mile is 1,852 meters (6,076 ft) against 1,609 meters (5,280 ft) for a statute mile, about 15 percent longer. A 48 nm crossing is roughly 55 statute miles.
How long does it take to travel 100 nautical miles?
Divide distance by speed in knots: at 20 knots, 100 nm takes 5 hours; at 8 knots it takes 12.5 hours. The distance, speed, time mode above solves any of the three from the other two.