Why do ships and planes use knots instead of mph?

A knot is defined as one nautical mile per hour, and a nautical mile is based on one minute of latitude, making it directly useful for navigation calculations using latitude/longitude coordinates.

Knots to MPH Converter

Convert a speed measured in knots (nautical miles per hour, used in aviation and marine navigation) into standard miles per hour.

Inputs

Results

Miles Per Hour: 23.02 mph

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Formula

mph = knots × 1.15078

Learn How This Works

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Converting between horsepower and kilowatts, newtons and pound-force, torque units, and knots to mph — four conversions common in mechanical and marine contexts.

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