What Is a Knot?

A knot is a speed unit sailors and pilots rely on all the time. Simply put, one knot means traveling one nautical mile in an hour. Now, nautical miles aren’t the same as the miles used in road signs—those are called statute miles. Nautical miles are based on Earth’s shape and are a bit longer: one nautical mile equals 1,852 meters (or about 1.852 kilometers). By comparison, a statute mile is 1,609.344 meters. So, if you’re chasing speed, a knot will get you slightly farther in an hour than a mile per hour.

Here’s a quick way to see how they stack up:

• 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour ≈ 1.852 km/h ≈ 1.15 mph
• 1 mph ≈ 0.87 knots

Most calculators use the constants 1.150779 mph per knot and 0.868976 knots per mph to keep conversions precise.

How the Knots to mph Calculator Makes Life Simple

Just enter your speed—whether you’re starting with knots or miles per hour. The calculator does the rest with these formulas:

• From knots to mph: multiply knots by 1.150779.
• From mph to knots: multiply mph by 0.868976, or divide by 1.150779.

That’s all you need, but there’s more! Many converters can also show your speed in kilometres per hour and meters per second. For km/h, multiply knots by 1.852. For m/s, just divide the result by 3.6.

You can pick how many decimal places the result shows, so it fits your needs—casual estimate or precise calculation.

If you want to flip the calculation, just hit the “swap” button. Instantly, the output becomes the new input, and the units switch for easy back-and-forth.

Why Use Knots Instead of mph?

Knots make navigation simple. Why? Because one knot equals the speed needed to travel one minute of latitude per hour—that’s 1/60th of a degree. This matches up with maps and charts, helping people find their locations more easily. So, on ships and planes, and in weather reports, knots are king. Back on land, we’re more familiar with mph, but a converter bridges both worlds so you can compare speeds in a way that feels natural.

See It in Action

Example 1—Sailboat in Knots

Let’s say a sailboat cruises at 12 knots.

• 12 knots × 1.150779 = 13.81 mph (rounded to two decimals)
• Kilometres per hour: 12 × 1.852 = 22.22 km/h
• Meters per second: 22.22 ÷ 3.6 ≈ 6.17 m/s

Example 2—Airplane in mph

A small plane flies at 100 mph.

• 100 mph × 0.868976 = 86.90 knots (rounded to one decimal).
• Want to check? 86.90 knots × 1.150779 = nearly 100 mph.

Example 3—Storm Speed in Knots

A weather report says a storm moves at 50 knots.

• 50 × 1.150779 = 57.54 mph
• 50 × 1.852 = 92.60 km/h

Now you know that 50 knots is a little under 58 mph—a helpful way to translate forecasts for day-to-day decisions.

Real-World Tips

• Pick the right starting point. If your info is in knots, use knots. If it’s in mph, stick with mph inputs. The calculator knows what to do.
• Decimals matter! Use fewer decimals for quick estimates or more when precision is needed, like in flight planning.
• The swap button saves time—you can instantly reverse conversions and double-check results.
• A handy shortcut: 1 knot is about 1.15 mph, which helps you quickly sanity check.
• Remember, knots use nautical miles and mph uses land miles. The calculator always handles this for you.