Why do ships use nautical miles instead of regular miles?

One nautical mile corresponds to one minute of latitude on the Earth's surface, making it directly tied to geographic coordinates and celestial navigation. This makes chart reading and position calculation much simpler at sea.

How far is a nautical mile compared to a land mile?

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.15 statute miles (1.852 km vs 1.609 km).

How fast is one knot?

One knot equals one nautical mile per hour, or approximately 1.852 km/h.

Nautical Miles to Kilometers Converter

Convert nautical miles to kilometers for maritime navigation, aviation, and international weather reporting. The nautical mile is the standard unit for sea and air travel worldwide.

Formula

Multiply nautical miles by 1.852 to get kilometers. To reverse, divide kilometers by 1.852 to get nautical miles.

Quick reference

Nautical Mile (nmi)	Kilometer (km)
1	1.852
5	9.26
10	18.52
20	37.04
50	92.6
100	185.2
200	370.4
500	926
1000	1,852
3000	5,556

About these units

Nautical Mile

The nautical mile was originally defined as one minute of arc of latitude along a meridian, making it directly useful for celestial navigation. It was standardized internationally at exactly 1852 meters in 1929 at the International Extraordinary Hydrographic Conference in Monaco.

Kilometer

The kilometer is the metric standard for overland distances, derived from the meter. Its straightforward decimal relationship to SI units makes it the preferred unit for terrestrial navigation and mapping outside of maritime and aviation contexts.

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