A knot (nautical speed) and miles per hour (land speed) are both units of speed but scaled from different base distances — this converts precisely between them.
How it works
A knot is defined as one international nautical mile (1,852 meters) per hour; a mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters. Multiplying knots by the ratio of these two gives mph.
What this does not include
This does not include kilometers per hour or meters per second — for those, use this site’s full speed converter, which covers five units on one page.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a value in either knots or mph — the other field fills in automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a nautical mile longer than a standard mile?
A nautical mile is based on one minute of latitude around the Earth (1,852 m), while a standard mile is a separately defined land-measurement unit (1,609.344 m) — they were never designed to match.
Where are knots commonly used?
Maritime navigation and aviation, both of which use nautical miles for distance and knots for speed as their standard units.
Is 1 knot faster or slower than 1 mph?
Faster — 1 knot is about 1.15 mph, since a nautical mile is longer than a standard mile.
