Convert Nautical Mile to Mile (nmi → mi)

Converting nautical miles to miles is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in nautical miles

   Start with the number of nautical miles (nmi) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 1.150779

   The conversion factor from nmi to mi is 1.150779. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in miles

   The result is your value in miles (mi).

Multiply the value in nautical miles by 1.150779. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.868976.

• ✓1 nautical mile = 1.852 km = 1.151 statute miles.
• ✓A knot (1 nmi/h) equals 1.852 km/h — remember this for weather and sailing reports.
• ✓Latitude is measured in degrees and minutes; one minute of latitude equals exactly one nautical mile.

• ✗Confusing nautical miles with statute miles — the 15% difference matters in flight planning.
• ✗Reading knots as km/h on weather reports — a 40-knot wind is 74 km/h, not 40.
• ✗Using nautical miles on land — outside navigation contexts, use kilometres or statute miles.

What is the Nautical Mile?

The nautical mile equals exactly 1,852 meters and is the international standard distance unit for marine navigation, aviation, and polar geography. It was originally defined as one minute of arc along a meridian — meaning 60 nautical miles equal one degree of latitude. This relationship makes the nautical mile uniquely useful for charts: a navigator can read distance directly off the latitude scale of any map. Adopted internationally in 1929, the nautical mile is used by virtually all maritime nations and in international aviation regulations. The related speed unit is the knot (1 nautical mile per hour). The nautical mile is roughly 1.151 statute miles or 1.852 km. Distinct from the older British nautical mile (6,080 ft) and the US nautical mile (6,080.20 ft), the international nautical mile is now standard worldwide.

• Marine navigation and nautical charts
• Commercial and military aviation distances
• International maritime law (territorial waters = 12 nmi)

What is the Mile?

The statute mile equals exactly 1,609.344 meters since the international yard agreement of 1959. The unit traces back to the Roman 'mille passuum' (one thousand paces), each pace being roughly 5 Roman feet, giving 5,000 Roman feet. The modern mile evolved through medieval England, where it was standardized to 5,280 feet by Queen Elizabeth I in 1593. Today it remains the official road-distance unit in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Myanmar. American and British road signs, car speedometers, and athletic tracks (the famous 1-mile run) all use the mile. Distinct from the nautical mile (1,852 m), the statute mile is sometimes called the 'land mile.' London to Edinburgh by road is about 400 miles, and a marathon is exactly 26.22 miles.

• US and UK motorway distances and speed limits
• Car odometers in American and British vehicles
• Track events (mile run, quarter-mile drag racing)