You can convert knots to MPH (and vice versa) by using these formulas:
- miles per hour (MPH) = knots × 1.15078
- knots = miles per hour (MPH) / 1.15078
In other words, 1 knot is equal to approximately 1.15 mph.
But if you don’t want to bother with the calculations, you’ve come to the right place.
For your convenience, we at PowerSportsGuide have compiled the most common conversion numbers into one chart!
Knots vs. MPH Difference
Before we drill into the details, let’s start with the basics.
What’s the difference between knots and MPH?
MPH is a well-known speed unit, the abbreviation of miles per hour. It tells the distance (in miles) a vehicle travels in one hour.
MPH is used in the US, UK, and some smaller countries for measuring the speed of vehicles.
In contrast, knots is commonly used for measuring the speed of vessels; it determines how many nautical miles per hour a vessel travels on the water.
Knots are typically used to measure travel distances over the sea, so they’re considered a nautical rate. Knots are often abbreviated as kn or sometimes as kt. For example, 1 knot is usually written as 1 kn or less frequently 1 kt.
Since “regular” miles and nautical miles are not equal, there’s a conversion rate between knots and MPH.
Are you wondering what the knot to mph ratio iss and how to convert these measurements?
Keep reading!
How do You Convert Knots to MPH?
You can convert knots to MPH by multiplying the knot measurement by the conversion ratio of 1.15078. In other words, the knots to MPH conversion formula is as follows:
- miles per hour (MPH) = knots × 1.15078
For example, here’s how to convert 8 knots to MPH:
8 knots = (8 × 1.150779) = 9.2 MPH
Knots to MPH Chart
For your convenience, we’ve listed the most common knots to MPH conversions in one chart:
| Knots | MPH |
| 1 | 1.2 |
| 2 | 2.3 |
| 3 | 3.5 |
| 4 | 4.6 |
| 5 | 5.8 |
| 6 | 6.9 |
| 7 | 8.1 |
| 8 | 9.2 |
| 9 | 10.4 |
| 10 | 11.5 |
| 15 | 17.3 |
| 20 | 23.0 |
| 25 | 28.8 |
| 30 | 34.5 |
| 35 | 40.3 |
| 40 | 46.0 |
| 45 | 51.8 |
| 50 | 57.6 |
| 55 | 63.3 |
| 60 | 69.1 |
| 65 | 74.8 |
| 70 | 80.6 |
| 75 | 86.3 |
| 80 | 92.1 |
| 85 | 97.8 |
| 90 | 103.6 |
| 95 | 109.3 |
| 100 | 115.1 |
| 105 | 120.9 |
| 110 | 126.6 |
| 115 | 132.4 |
| 120 | 138.1 |
| 125 | 143.9 |
| 130 | 149.6 |
| 135 | 155.4 |
| 140 | 161.1 |
| 145 | 166.9 |
| 150 | 172.7 |
How do You Convert MPH to Knots?
As one may expect, the MPH to knots conversion is the inverse of the previous calculation.
This means that you can convert MPH to knots by dividing the knot measurement by 1.15078. In other words, the MPH to knot conversion formula is as follows:
- knots = miles per hour (MPH) / 1.15078
For example, here’s how to convert 15 MPH to knots:
15 MPH / 1.15078 = 13.03 knots
Alternatively, you can also multiply the MPH measurement by 0.868976 to convert it into its knot equivalent:
15 MPH x 0.868976 = 13.03 knots
MPH to Knots Chart
For your convenience, we’ve listed the most common MPH to knot conversions in one chart:
| MPH | Knots |
| 1 | 0.9 |
| 2 | 1.7 |
| 3 | 2.6 |
| 4 | 3.5 |
| 5 | 4.3 |
| 6 | 5.2 |
| 7 | 6.1 |
| 8 | 7.0 |
| 9 | 7.8 |
| 10 | 8.7 |
| 15 | 13.0 |
| 20 | 17.4 |
| 25 | 21.7 |
| 30 | 26.1 |
| 35 | 30.4 |
| 40 | 34.8 |
| 45 | 39.1 |
| 50 | 43.4 |
| 55 | 47.8 |
| 60 | 52.1 |
| 65 | 56.5 |
| 70 | 60.8 |
| 75 | 65.2 |
| 80 | 69.5 |
| 85 | 73.8 |
| 90 | 78.2 |
| 95 | 82.5 |
| 100 | 86.9 |
| 105 | 91.2 |
| 110 | 95.6 |
| 115 | 99.9 |
| 120 | 104.3 |
| 125 | 108.6 |
| 130 | 112.9 |
| 135 | 117.3 |
| 140 | 121.6 |
| 145 | 126.0 |
| 150 | 130.3 |
Takeaways – FAQs About MPH to Knot Conversion
As a takeaway, we’ve answered the most common questions on the MPH to knot conversion.
Why do Ships Use Knots Instead of MPH?
The knot is a historical measurement unit that began to be used in the 17th Century. As the name suggests, sailors used a rope with evenly spaced knots for the measurement procedure.
A piece of wood (a.k.a. log, chip log, or common log) was attached to the end of this rope. This log was thrown into the sea, and the water drag started to pull the knotted rope into the water.
Sailors determined the speed in “knots” based on the number of knots pulled into the water in a half-minute period.
Since these vintage boats lacked any speed measurement gauge, this was the only way to determine the exact speed on the water.
What is the Knot to MPH Ratio?
The Knot to MPH ratio is 1.15078.
How Many MPH is a Knot?
As a rule of thumb, 1 knot is equal to 0.868976 MPH.
What is the Fastest Way to Convert Knots to MPH?
The fastest way to convert knots to MPH is by multiplying the knot measurement by 1.15078. In other words, the speed in MPH is equal to the knots multiplied by 1.15078.
- miles per hour (MPH) = knots × 1.15078
What is the Fastest Way to Convert MPH to Knots?
The fastest way to convert MPH to knots is by dividing the MPH measurement by 1.15078. Alternatively, you can multiply the MPH measurement by 0.868976 to convert it into knots.
- knots = miles per hour (MPH) / 1.15078
- knots = miles per hour (MPH) x 0.868976
How Fast is One Knot?
One knot is equal to 0.869 MPH, 1.852 KMH, or 0.514 m/s.
Common Knots to MPH Conversions
How fast is 1 knot in MPH?
1 knot is equal to 1.15 MPH.
How fast is 2 knots in MPH?
2 knots are equal to 2.30 MPH.
How fast is 3 knots in MPH?
3 knots are equal to 3.45 MPH.
How fast is 4 knots in MPH?
4 knots are equal to 4.60 MPH.
How fast is 5 knots in MPH?
5 knots are equal to 5.76 MPH.
How fast is 6 knots in MPH?
6 knots are equal to 6.91 MPH.
How fast is 7 knots in MPH?
7 knots are equal to 8.06 MPH.
How fast is 8 knots in MPH?
8 knots are equal to 9.21 MPH.
How fast is 9 knots in MPH?
9 knots are equal to 10.36 MPH.
How fast is 10 knots in MPH?
10 knots are equal to 11.51 MPH.
How fast is 15 knots in MPH?
15 knots are equal to 17.27 MPH.
How fast is 18 knots in MPH?
18 knots are equal to 20.72 MPH.
How fast is 20 knots in MPH?
20 knots are equal to 23.02 MPH.
How fast is 21 knots in MPH?
21 knots are equal to 24.17 MPH.
How fast is 22 knots in MPH?
22 knots are equal to 25.32 MPH.
How fast is 23 knots in MPH?
23 knots are equal to 26.47 MPH.
How fast is 24 knots in MPH?
24 knots are equal to 27.62 MPH.
How fast is 25 knots in MPH?
25 knots are equal to 28.78 MPH.
How fast is 28 knots in MPH?
28 knots are equal to 32.23 MPH.
How fast is 30 knots in MPH?
30 knots are equal to 34.53 MPH.
How fast is 40 knots in MPH?
40 knots are equal to 46.04 MPH.
How fast is 41 knots in MPH?
41 knots are equal to 47.19 MPH.
How fast is 42 knots in MPH?
42 knots are equal to 48.34 MPH.
How fast is 43 knots in MPH?
43 knots are equal to 49.49 MPH.
How fast is 44 knots in MPH?
44 knots are equal to 50.64 MPH.
How fast is 45 knots in MPH?
45 knots are equal to 51.80 MPH.
How fast is 46 knots in MPH?
46 knots are equal to 52.95 MPH.
How fast is 47 knots in MPH?
47 knots are equal to 54.10 MPH.
How fast is 48 knots in MPH?
48 knots are equal to 55.25 MPH.
How fast is 49 knots in MPH?
49 knots are equal to 56.40 MPH.
How fast is 50 knots in MPH?
50 knots are equal to 57.55 MPH.
How fast is 500 knots in MPH?
500 knots are equal to 575.5 MPH.
How fast is 510 knots in MPH?
510 knots are equal to 587.01 MPH.
How fast is 520 knots in MPH?
520 knots are equal to 598.5 MPH.
How fast is 525 knots in MPH?
525 knots are equal to 604.3 MPH.
How fast is 550 knots in MPH?
550 knots are equal to 633.1 MPH.
References:
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/WindTunnel/Activities/knots_vs_mph.html
https://www.inchcalculator.com/convert/knot-to-mile-per-hour/
https://www.cutwaterboats.com/ownership-experience/blog/content-container/knots-vs-mph/
