Knots to MPH Converter

How to convert knots to miles per hour

1 knot = 1.150779448 miles per hour. To convert knots to miles per hour, multiply by 1.150779448. A knot is one nautical mile (exactly 1,852 m) per hour. One mile per hour is 1,609.344 m covered in one hour.

Worked examples

• 10 knots = 11.5078 mph (10 × 1.1507794)
• 34 knots = 39.1265 mph (34 × 1.1507794)
• 500 knots = 575.39 mph (500 × 1.1507794)

Where this conversion comes up

Knots are used for boat and aircraft speed, wind at sea and in aviation; miles per hour for speed limits and car speedometers in the US and UK. Wind speed at sea and in aviation is reported in knots. 34 kn is the tropical-storm threshold (39 mph) and 64 kn starts hurricane strength (74 mph).

Quick estimate

Add 15% (exact factor 1.1508).

Common mistakes

• Dividing instead of multiplying. A mile per hour is smaller than a knot, so the number of miles per hour must come out larger: 10 knots = 11.5078 mph.
• Rounding too early. Keep the full factor until the last step; rounding 1.15 to 1 first puts large values noticeably off.

Going the other way? Use the mph to knots converter. Related speed converters: kph to mph, mph to kph, mph to m/s, m/s to mph, fps to mph, mph to fps.