Miles per hour to knots
1 mile per hour = 0.868976 knots
Type a value in miles per hour (mph) to get knots (kn) straight away. A mile per hour is smaller than a knot, so the number goes down. Both units belong to speed, measured here against the meter per second.
1 mph = 0.86897624 kn
Formula
kn = mph × 0.86897624
One mile per hour is 0.86897624 knots, so multiply by that factor. You can also divide by 1.15078, the number of miles per hour in one knot. Here mph is the value in miles per hour and kn is the result in knots.
Worked example: 60 miles per hour × 0.86897624 = 52.1386 knots.
Miles per hour to knots table
| miles per hour (mph) | knots (kn) |
|---|---|
| 1 mph | 0.868976 kn |
| 2 mph | 1.73795 kn |
| 3 mph | 2.60693 kn |
| 4 mph | 3.4759 kn |
| 5 mph | 4.34488 kn |
| 6 mph | 5.21386 kn |
| 7 mph | 6.08283 kn |
| 8 mph | 6.95181 kn |
| 9 mph | 7.82079 kn |
| 10 mph | 8.68976 kn |
| 15 mph | 13.0346 kn |
| 20 mph | 17.3795 kn |
| 25 mph | 21.7244 kn |
| 30 mph | 26.0693 kn |
| 40 mph | 34.759 kn |
| 50 mph | 43.4488 kn |
| 60 mph | 52.1386 kn |
| 75 mph | 65.1732 kn |
| 100 mph | 86.8976 kn |
Everyday miles per hour in knots
| What it is | mph | kn |
|---|---|---|
| walking pace | 3 mph | 2.60693 kn |
| a 20 mph zone | 20 mph | 17.3795 kn |
| a UK town limit | 30 mph | 26.0693 kn |
| a UK single-carriageway limit | 60 mph | 52.1386 kn |
| a UK motorway limit | 70 mph | 60.8283 kn |
Quick estimate in your head
Multiply by about 0.87. For 60 mph that gives 52.2 kn against an exact 52.1386 kn, an error of 0.1%.
Watch out for
- Knots are nautical miles per hour, so 1 knot is 1.852 km/h, not 1.609 km/h.
About the units
Mile per hour (mph). Exactly 0.44704 m/s. Used for road speeds in the US and UK.
Knot (kn). One nautical mile per hour, about 1.852 km/h. Used at sea and in aviation.
Going the other way, 1 knot is 1.15078 miles per hour.
Questions
How many knots are in 1 mile per hour?
1 mile per hour is 0.868976 knots, and 1 knot is 1.15078 miles per hour.
How do I convert miles per hour to knots?
Use kn = mph × 0.86897624. For example, 60 miles per hour × 0.86897624 = 52.1386 knots.
Is the mile per hour to knot factor exact?
The factor comes from the unit definitions. Results here are rounded to 6 significant digits for display.
How much is a UK motorway limit in knots?
70 mph is 60.8283 kn.
Source for the conversion factor: NIST SP 811, Appendix B (conversion factors).
Related conversions
- knots to miles per hour
- miles per hour to kilometers per hour
- miles per hour to meters per second
- knots to kilometers per hour
- kilometers per hour to knots
- miles per hour to feet per second