Knots to MPH Converter

Convert knots to miles per hour — and to km/h, m/s and ft/s at the same time. Built for aviation, marine and weather work.

How the conversion works

One knot is one nautical mile per hour. A nautical mile is 6,076.12 feet, while a statute mile is 5,280 feet, so:

mph = knots × (1852 ÷ 1609.344) = knots × 1.1507794

Worked example. A cruising speed of 250 knots:

250 × 1.1507794 = 287.69 mph

Reverse direction:

knots = mph ÷ 1.1507794  or  knots = mph × 0.868976

The factor is often rounded to 1.15078, which gives 287.70 for this example. This tool uses the exact ratio, so it reports 287.69 — a difference of one hundredth of a mile per hour, but the exact figure is the one to quote.

Conversion reference

Frequently asked questions

How many mph is one knot?

One knot equals 1.15078 miles per hour. A knot is one nautical mile per hour, and a nautical mile is 6,076.12 feet compared with a statute mile of 5,280 feet.

Why do aircraft and ships use knots?

A nautical mile is based on one minute of latitude, which makes it directly usable with nautical charts and latitude scales. Aviation and maritime navigation kept the unit for that reason.

Is a knot the same as a nautical mile per hour?

Yes. By definition one knot is one nautical mile per hour, which is 1.852 kilometres per hour exactly.

Why not just say "knots per hour"?

The word knot already means "nautical miles per hour", so "knots per hour" would mean an acceleration. The correct usage is simply knots.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

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Last updated: August 31, 2026