Nautical Miles to Kilometers Converter
Convert nautical miles to kilometers and km to nautical miles. Used in aviation and maritime navigation.
Nautical Miles to Kilometers
One nautical mile equals exactly 1.852 kilometers. The nautical mile is based on the Earth's circumference: one arc-minute of latitude ≈ 1 nautical mile.
Common conversions:
- 1 nmi = 1.852 km
- 10 nmi = 18.52 km
- 100 nmi = 185.2 km
- 1000 nmi = 1852 km
Why Nautical Miles?
Nautical miles are used in aviation and maritime navigation because they correspond directly to degrees of latitude on the Earth's surface. One degree of latitude = 60 nautical miles. This makes navigation charts and GPS coordinates directly compatible with distance calculations.
Knots and Speed
Speed in navigation is measured in knots: 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour. A typical commercial aircraft cruises at about 450–500 knots (833–926 km/h). A ship cruises at 10–15 knots (18.5–27.8 km/h).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many km is 1 nautical mile?
1 nautical mile = 1.852 km exactly.
How many nautical miles in 100 km?
100 ÷ 1.852 ≈ 53.99 nautical miles.
Is a nautical mile longer than a regular mile?
Yes. A nautical mile is 1.852 km, while a regular (statute) mile is 1.609 km, so a nautical mile is about 15% longer.