What is a Nautical Mile?
A nautical mile is a unit of distance commonly used in air and marine navigation. It is based on the Earth’s circumference and equals one minute of latitude. Alternatively, it’s the distance covered in one hour at a speed of one knot.
Knots and Nautical Miles
A knot is a unit of speed, specifically one nautical mile per hour. Its name comes from the historical method of measuring sailing speed using knots on a rope. Converting knots to nautical miles is as easy as multiplying the speed in knots by the sailing time in hours.
Nautical Mile Conversions
Nautical Mile vs. Mile
Comparing a nautical mile to a standard land mile, the former is approximately 15% longer. To convert nautical miles to miles, multiply by 1.15078.
- 1 nmi = 1.15078 mi
Nautical Mile to Kilometer Conversion
One nautical mile is equivalent to 1.852 kilometers. To convert nautical miles to kilometers, multiply by 1.852.
- 1 nmi = 1.852 km
Other Conversion Tools
In addition to the nautical mile calculator, explore our range of unit conversion tools:
- Mile Converter
- Steps to Miles Calculator
- Kilometers to Miles Calculator
Whether converting between nautical miles and miles, calculating knots, or performing various math operations, our collection of calculators and converters simplifies the process.
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