Tool
Nautical distance converter
Convert between nautical miles, kilometres, statute miles and metres using the exact international nautical mile of 1,852 metres.
Enter a distance and choose the units to see the converted value.
Why nautical miles are used at sea
The international nautical mile is exactly 1,852 metres. Nautical navigation developed around latitude and longitude, and nautical miles provide a convenient relationship with geographic coordinates. NOAA explains that one nautical mile corresponds to one minute of latitude for practical navigational use.
Distance and speed use different units
A nautical mile measures distance. A knot measures speed. One knot means one nautical mile per hour. Confusing the two is equivalent to confusing kilometres with kilometres per hour.
Conversion methodology
The converter first changes the input into metres, then converts that value into the selected output unit. It uses 1 nautical mile = 1,852 metres, 1 kilometre = 1,000 metres and 1 statute mile = 1,609.344 metres. These are exact modern conversion factors.