Knots to km/h Converter

One knot is exactly 1.852 kilometers per hour. To convert knots to km/h, multiply by 1.852. To convert km/h to knots, divide by 1.852, which is the same as multiplying by about 0.54. So 10 knots is 18.52 km/h, 20 knots is 37.04 km/h and 30 knots is 55.56 km/h.

How Many km/h Is a Knot?

A knot is a speed of one nautical mile per hour, and the international nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters. At 1 knot a boat covers 1,852 meters, or 1.852 kilometers, in an hour, so 1 knot is exactly 1.852 km/h. In meters per second that is 1,852 ÷ 3,600, about 0.514 m/s. Knots are abbreviated kn, kt or kts, and kilometers per hour km/h or kph.

These values are fixed by definition. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) lists the nautical mile as 1,852 meters and the knot as one nautical mile per hour, and notes that both units are used in marine and air navigation; the length of the nautical mile was agreed internationally in 1929. One kilometer per hour is 1 ÷ 1.852, about 0.54 knot, so the same speed is always a smaller number in knots than in km/h.

The converter above works both ways: type a speed in knots or in km/h and the other box updates. The speed in meters per second and in miles per hour is shown under the result.

Knots to km/h Conversion Chart

Every whole knot from 1 to 30:

Knots	km/h	m/s
1	1.852	0.514
2	3.704	1.029
3	5.556	1.543
4	7.408	2.058
5	9.26	2.572
6	11.112	3.087
7	12.964	3.601
8	14.816	4.116
9	16.668	4.63
10	18.52	5.144
11	20.372	5.659
12	22.224	6.173
13	24.076	6.688
14	25.928	7.202
15	27.78	7.717
16	29.632	8.231
17	31.484	8.746
18	33.336	9.26
19	35.188	9.774
20	37.04	10.289
21	38.892	10.803
22	40.744	11.318
23	42.596	11.832
24	44.448	12.347
25	46.3	12.861
26	48.152	13.376
27	50.004	13.89
28	51.856	14.404
29	53.708	14.919
30	55.56	15.433

From 31 to 60 knots:

Knots	km/h	m/s
31	57.412	15.948
32	59.264	16.462
33	61.116	16.977
34	62.968	17.491
35	64.82	18.006
36	66.672	18.52
37	68.524	19.034
38	70.376	19.549
39	72.228	20.063
40	74.08	20.578
41	75.932	21.092
42	77.784	21.607
43	79.636	22.121
44	81.488	22.636
45	83.34	23.15
46	85.192	23.664
47	87.044	24.179
48	88.896	24.693
49	90.748	25.208
50	92.6	25.722
51	94.452	26.237
52	96.304	26.751
53	98.156	27.266
54	100.008	27.78
55	101.86	28.294
56	103.712	28.809
57	105.564	29.323
58	107.416	29.838
59	109.268	30.352
60	111.12	30.867

Higher speeds:

Knots	km/h	m/s
70	129.64	36.011
80	148.16	41.156
90	166.68	46.3
100	185.2	51.444
120	222.24	61.733
150	277.8	77.167
200	370.4	102.889
250	463	128.611
300	555.6	154.333
500	926	257.222

How Many Knots Is 100 km/h?

100 km/h is 53.996 knots, just under 54 knots. To turn any speed in km/h into knots, divide it by 1.852:

km/h	Knots
5	2.7
10	5.4
15	8.099
20	10.799
25	13.499
30	16.199
40	21.598
50	26.998
60	32.397
70	37.797
80	43.197
90	48.596
100	53.996
110	59.395
120	64.795
150	80.994
200	107.991

Wind Warnings in Knots and km/h

Marine forecasts give wind speeds in knots. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, for example, forecasts winds over coastal waters in knots, as averages over 10 minutes at a height of 10 meters, and warns that gusts can be 40 percent stronger than the forecast. Its marine wind warnings in knots and km/h:

Warning	Knots	km/h
Strong wind	26 to 33	48.2 to 61.1
Gale	34 to 47	63 to 87
Storm force	48 to 63	88.9 to 116.7
Hurricane force	64 or more	118.5 or more

Environment and Climate Change Canada uses the same gale, storm and hurricane force ranges. It also issues strong wind warnings for 20 to 33 knots (37 to 61.1 km/h), mainly in the summer boating season and for coastal and inland waters only. Canada’s warning levels exclude gusts. On a moving boat the wind you feel is the apparent wind; the True Wind Calculator works out the true wind from it and your boat speed. To convert a barometer reading between inches of mercury and millibars (hectopascals), use the Barometric Pressure Converter.

Quick Ways to Convert in Your Head

• Knots to km/h: double the knots, then subtract 15 percent of the original number. For 20 knots: 40 − 3 = 37 km/h; the exact answer is 37.04 km/h.
• km/h to knots: halve the km/h, then add 8 percent of that half. For 100 km/h: 50 + 4 = 54 knots; the exact answer is 53.996 knots.

More Speed and Distance Converters

For miles per hour, use the Knots to MPH Converter, or the MPH to Knots Converter for the other direction. Distances at sea are in nautical miles, and the Nautical Miles to Miles Converter turns them into statute miles and kilometers. For kilometers, meters or feet, use the Nautical Miles to Kilometers Converter, the Nautical Miles to Meters Converter or the Nautical Miles to Feet Converter. To work out how long a passage takes at a given speed in knots, mph or km/h, use the Speed, Distance and Time Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions