How to convert knots to kilometers per hour
Formula: km/h = kn × 1.852
Worked example: 20 kn → 20 × 1.852 = 37.04 km/h
Multiply knots by 1.852, the exact length of a nautical mile in kilometers. A sailboat at 6 knots moves at 11.1 km/h, and an airliner cruising at 480 knots flies at about 889 km/h relative to the air.
Knots to kilometers per hour conversion chart
| Knots (kn) | Kilometers per hour (km/h) |
|---|---|
| 1 kn | 1.852 km/h |
| 5 kn | 9.26 km/h |
| 10 kn | 18.52 km/h |
| 15 kn | 27.78 km/h |
| 20 kn | 37.04 km/h |
| 25 kn | 46.3 km/h |
| 30 kn | 55.56 km/h |
| 40 kn | 74.08 km/h |
| 50 kn | 92.6 km/h |
| 100 kn | 185.2 km/h |
| 150 kn | 277.8 km/h |
| 200 kn | 370.4 km/h |
| 250 kn | 463 km/h |
| 300 kn | 555.6 km/h |
| 450 kn | 833.4 km/h |
| 500 kn | 926 km/h |
What is a knot?
The knot is one nautical mile per hour, exactly 1.852 km/h or about 1.15 mph. Ships, aircraft and marine weather forecasts use it worldwide. The name comes from sailors counting knots on a line paid out behind the ship.
What is a kilometer per hour?
The kilometer per hour is the speed unit on road signs and speedometers in most of the world, including Canada and Mexico. A highway limit of 100 km/h is about 62 mph, and 50 km/h, a common city limit, is about 31 mph.