How to convert knots to miles per hour
1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.852 km/h (exact)
1 knot = 1,852 m ÷ 1,609.344 m ≈ 1.150779 mph
mph = knots × 1.852 ÷ 1.609344
Shortcut: Multiply by 1.15, or add 15%: 20 knots ≈ 20 + 3 = 23 mph (exactly 23.02).
Knots to mph table
| Knots | Miles per hour |
|---|---|
| 1 kn | 1.1508 mph |
| 2 kn | 2.3016 mph |
| 5 kn | 5.7539 mph |
| 10 kn | 11.5078 mph |
| 15 kn | 17.2617 mph |
| 20 kn | 23.0156 mph |
| 25 kn | 28.7695 mph |
| 30 kn | 34.5234 mph |
| 35 kn | 40.2773 mph |
| 40 kn | 46.0312 mph |
| 50 kn | 57.539 mph |
| 60 kn | 69.0468 mph |
| 80 kn | 92.0624 mph |
| 100 kn | 115.0779 mph |
| 120 kn | 138.0935 mph |
| 150 kn | 172.6169 mph |
| 200 kn | 230.1559 mph |
| 250 kn | 287.6949 mph |
| 300 kn | 345.2338 mph |
| 450 kn | 517.8508 mph |
| 500 kn | 575.3897 mph |
Values are calculated with exact factors and rounded for the table; the converter above shows full precision.
Worked examples
10 kn to miles per hour
10 × 1.150779448
11.5078 mph
20 kn to miles per hour
20 × 1.150779448
23.0156 mph
250 kn to miles per hour
250 × 1.150779448
287.6949 mph
Questions
How many mph is 1 knot?
About 1.1508 mph. A knot is one nautical mile (exactly 1,852 m) per hour.
What is 20 knots in mph?
About 23.02 mph, or 37.04 km/h.
Why do boats and planes use knots?
A nautical mile matches one minute of latitude on a chart, so distances and speeds in knots fit navigation directly. Saying “knots per hour” is redundant.
Related conversions
- Kilometers per hour to miles per hour
- Miles per hour to kilometers per hour
- Speed converter: every speed unit, with the full drawing
The history: Knots and the nautical mile: speed at sea.