MotionShineFree tool
Mph to knots converter, miles per hour in nautical terms.
Type a speed in miles per hour and read it in knots. Cards give the same speed in km/h, metres per second and feet per second. Handy for turning a car or wind speed into the nautical unit.
60 mph equals
52.13857 kn
1 mile per hour = 0.8689762419 kn (rounded)1 knot = 1.150779448 mph (rounded)
↑↓ add 1Shift 10Alt 0.1Enter other boxS swapC copyL link
Common values, click one to use it
| Miles per hour | Knots |
|---|---|
| 0.86898 kn | |
| 4.34488 kn | |
| 8.68976 kn | |
| 13.03464 kn | |
| 17.37952 kn | |
| 21.72441 kn | |
| 26.06929 kn | |
| 30.41417 kn | |
| 34.75905 kn | |
| 39.10393 kn | |
| 43.44881 kn | |
| 47.79369 kn | |
| 52.13857 kn | |
| 56.48346 kn | |
| 60.82834 kn | |
| 65.17322 kn | |
| 69.5181 kn | |
| 86.89762 kn | |
| 104.27715 kn | |
| 130.34644 kn |
Miles per hour to knots chart
- 1 mph0.86898 kn
- 2 mph1.73795 kn
- 3 mph2.60693 kn
- 4 mph3.4759 kn
- 5 mph4.34488 kn
- 10 mph8.68976 kn
- 15 mph13.03464 kn
- 20 mph17.37952 kn
- 25 mph21.72441 kn
- 30 mph26.06929 kn
- 35 mph30.41417 kn
- 40 mph34.75905 kn
- 45 mph39.10393 kn
- 50 mph43.44881 kn
- 55 mph47.79369 kn
- 60 mph52.13857 kn
- 65 mph56.48346 kn
- 70 mph60.82834 kn
- 75 mph65.17322 kn
- 80 mph69.5181 kn
- 85 mph73.86298 kn
- 90 mph78.20786 kn
- 100 mph86.89762 kn
- 110 mph95.58739 kn
- 120 mph104.27715 kn
- 130 mph112.96691 kn
- 150 mph130.34644 kn
- 200 mph173.79525 kn
Worked out in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Guide
How to convert mph to knots, with a quick rule.
To convert mph to knots, multiply by 0.86898. So 60 mph is 52.14 knots, 30 mph is 26.07 knots and 100 mph is 86.9 knots. The knot number is always smaller, because a knot is a nautical mile per hour and a nautical mile is longer than a statute mile.
How to use the converter
- Type the amount in the Miles per hour (mph) box. A decimal such as 2.5 or a fraction such as 3/4 works.
- The big result shows Knots (kn). Use Decimals in the side column to fix the number of places.
- The cards under the result give the same speed in other units.
- Type in the second box, or press the swap button, to convert knots to miles per hour instead.
- Click a row in Common values to load it. Copy result, Copy link, Copy table and Print chart keep the answer. Start again resets the box.
The factor, worked out
1 mph = 1,609.344 m in an hour. 1 knot = 1,852 m in an hour. So 1 mph = 1,609.344 ÷ 1,852 = 0.868976 knots. The exact fraction is 50,292 ÷ 57,875.
A rule you can do in your head
Knots are about seven eighths of the mph number. Take 80 mph: one eighth is 10, so 80 − 10 = 70 knots. The true answer is 69.52 knots, so the shortcut is 0.7 percent high. If you want it closer, subtract 13 percent instead: 80 × 0.87 = 69.6.
Mph to knots, 10 to 100
| mph | Knots | km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mph | 8.69 | 16.09 |
| 20 mph | 17.38 | 32.19 |
| 30 mph | 26.07 | 48.28 |
| 40 mph | 34.76 | 64.37 |
| 50 mph | 43.45 | 80.47 |
| 60 mph | 52.14 | 96.56 |
| 70 mph | 60.83 | 112.65 |
| 80 mph | 69.52 | 128.75 |
| 90 mph | 78.21 | 144.84 |
| 100 mph | 86.9 | 160.93 |
Worked examples
- A 25 mph wind. 25 × 0.86898 = 21.72 knots.
- A car at 70 mph. 60.83 knots, or 112.7 km/h.
- A gust of 45 mph. 39.1 knots.
- A speed of 5 mph. 4.345 knots.
- Back the other way. 10 knots = 11.51 mph. Press the swap button and type 10.
Where the numbers come from
NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8 lists the international mile as 1,609.344 m, the nautical mile as 1,852 m, and the knot as one nautical mile per hour (0.5144444 m/s). It also gives 1 mile per hour as 1.609344 km/h. Checked 24 Oct 2026. The converter keeps these as exact fractions and rounds only the last digit shown.
Converting in two steps
If you have km/h and need knots, you can go straight: 1 knot is 1.852 km/h, so divide by 1.852. 100 km/h ÷ 1.852 = 54 knots. If you only have mph, use this page. Both routes give the same answer when done with the exact factors.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not use 1.15 the wrong way round. 1.15 turns knots into mph. To go from mph to knots you divide by 1.15, or multiply by 0.87. Do not mix up a speed with a distance either: 10 nautical miles and 10 knots are different kinds of number.
Related pages: Knots to mph, Mph to kph, and Unit converter.
Questions
Good to know.
How many knots is 1 mph?
0.86898 knots, rounded. The exact value is 50,292 ÷ 57,875.
How many knots is 60 mph?
52.14 knots.
How many knots is 100 mph?
86.9 knots.
Is a knot bigger than a mph?
Yes, by about 15 percent, so a speed in knots is a smaller number than the same speed in mph.
What is a quick way to turn mph into knots?
Take away one eighth. It is about 0.7 percent too high, which is fine for a rough idea.
How many mph is 1 knot?
1.15078 mph. Use the swap button to see it.