Knots to mph Converter

Convert nautical speed to miles per hour and other units

Nautical Speed Converter

From

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11.50779

Converted result in the selected unit

Conversion Results

Primary Conversion

11.5078

Miles per hour (mph)

Wind Category

Gentle Breeze

Beaufort Scale: 3

All Speed Conversions

Knots:

10 kn

mph:

11.508 mph

km/h:

18.52 km/h

ft/s:

16.878 ft/s

m/s:

5.144 m/s

Beaufort:

Wind Conditions:

Gentle Breeze

Large wavelets, crests break

Conversion Formula:

V(mph) = 1.150779 × V(knots)

Key: 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.15078 miles per hour

Wind Speed Examples

Light Breeze

6 knots = 6.9 mph = 11.1 km/h

Beaufort 2 - Small wavelets

Fresh Breeze

20 knots = 23.0 mph = 37.0 km/h

Beaufort 5 - Moderate waves

Strong Gale

45 knots = 51.8 mph = 83.3 km/h

Beaufort 9 - High waves

Hurricane

65+ knots = 74+ mph = 120+ km/h

Beaufort 12 - Devastating conditions

Quick Conversions

1 knot1.151 mph

10 knots11.51 mph

20 knots23.02 mph

30 knots34.52 mph

40 knots46.03 mph

50 knots57.54 mph

Beaufort Wind Scale

0 - Calm<1 kn

1-3 - Light1-10 kn

4-5 - Moderate11-21 kn

6-7 - Strong22-33 kn

8-9 - Gale34-47 kn

10+ - Storm48+ kn

Conversion Formulas

Knots to mph:

mph = knots × 1.150779

mph to Knots:

knots = mph × 0.868976

Knots to km/h:

km/h = knots × 1.852

Knots to m/s:

m/s = knots × 0.514444

Definition:

1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour
1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers

Understanding Knots and Maritime Speed

What is a Knot?

A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. The term comes from the historic method of measuring ship speed using a "log line" - a rope with knots tied at regular intervals that was dropped overboard to measure speed.

Exact Conversion

•1 knot = 1.150779 mph (exact conversion)
•1 knot = 1.852 km/h (by definition)
•1 knot = 0.514444 m/s (approximately)
•1 knot = 1.687810 ft/s (approximately)

Why Use Knots?

Knots are used in navigation because they're directly related to the Earth's coordinate system. One nautical mile equals one minute of latitude, making navigation calculations much simpler for ships and aircraft.

Maritime Applications

• Ship navigation and speed logs
• Weather reporting and forecasting
• Tidal current measurements
• Marine safety communications

Aviation Uses

• Aircraft airspeed indicators
• Wind speed reporting
• Flight planning calculations
• Air traffic control communications

Practical Applications

Understanding knots-to-mph conversion is essential for boaters, pilots, and weather enthusiasts. For example, a 40-knot wind warning translates to 46 mph winds - clearly dangerous conditions for small vessels. Hurricane-force winds begin at 64 knots (74 mph), while a gentle sailing breeze might be 10 knots (11.5 mph).