Nautical Miles to Kilometers
Convert nautical miles to km, miles, and meters. 1 nm = 1.852 km exactly. For navigation and aviation.
Enter your values above to see the results.
Tips & Notes
- ✓1 nm = 1 arcminute of latitude — this is the geometric basis of the nautical mile.
- ✓60 nm = 1 degree of latitude = 111.12 km. Useful for quick chart work.
- ✓Knots (speed) = nautical miles per hour. A 20-knot ship travels 20 nm/hour.
- ✓Nautical miles are used for distance; knots for speed — they are directly related.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Confusing nautical miles (1.852 km) with statute miles (1.609 km) — 15% difference.
- ✗Using knots as a distance unit — knots measure speed (nm/hour), not distance.
- ✗Assuming the nautical mile varies by hemisphere — it is standardized at 1,852 m worldwide.
- ✗Forgetting that longitude degree length varies by latitude — only latitude degrees are always 60 nm.
Nautical Miles to Kilometers Overview
What This Calculator Does
Converts nautical miles to other distance units. The nautical mile is the international standard for maritime and aviation navigation.
The Definition
1 nautical mile = 1,852 meters exactly
This is not arbitrary — 1 nautical mile equals 1 arcminute (1/60 of a degree) of latitude on Earths surface. This geometric tie to Earths coordinates makes nautical miles uniquely useful for navigation.
Navigation Context
A ship traveling 60 nautical miles north moves exactly 1 degree of latitude. Longitude depends on latitude, but latitude is always 60 nm per degree. This makes course plotting and position calculation straightforward on nautical charts.
Quick Reference
| nm | km | miles | |---|---|---| | 1 | 1.852 | 1.151 | | 10 | 18.52 | 11.51 | | 100 | 185.2 | 115.1 | | 1,000 | 1,852 | 1,151 |