km/h to Knots and Knots to km/h Converter

kilometres per hour to knots formula

knots = km/h ÷ 1.852

1 kilometre per hour = 0.5399568035 knots, so multiply kilometres per hour by 0.5399568035. Going the other way, 1 knot = 1.852 kilometres per hour.

kilometres per hour to knots table

How many knots in kilometres per hour?

1 km/h = 0.539957 kn. There are 0.539957 knots in 1 kilometres per hour.

10 km/h = 5.39957 kn. There are 5.39957 knots in 10 kilometres per hour.

50 km/h = 26.9978 kn. There are 26.9978 knots in 50 kilometres per hour.

100 km/h = 53.9957 kn. There are 53.9957 knots in 100 kilometres per hour.

118 km/h = 63.7149 kn. There are 63.7149 knots in 118 kilometres per hour.

knots to kilometres per hour formula

km/h = knots × 1.852

1 knot = 1.852 kilometres per hour, so multiply knots by 1.852, or divide by 0.5399568035.

knots to kilometres per hour table

How many kilometres per hour in knots?

1 kn = 1.852 km/h. There are 1.852 kilometres per hour in 1 knots.

10 kn = 18.52 km/h. There are 18.52 kilometres per hour in 10 knots.

20 kn = 37.04 km/h. There are 37.04 kilometres per hour in 20 knots.

34 kn = 62.968 km/h. There are 62.968 kilometres per hour in 34 knots.

64 kn = 118.528 km/h. There are 118.528 kilometres per hour in 64 knots.

How the Km/h To Knots works

Km/h to knots: the factor

A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 m, so a knot is 1.852 km/h and a km/h is 1 ÷ 1.852 = 0.539957 knots. The converter uses the full figure. For an estimate, halve the number and add 8%: 100 km/h is 50 + 4 = 54 knots (exact: 53.996). Simply halving is 7% low, which is fine for a conversation and not for a passage plan.

Worked example: a 60 km/h wind warning

60 ÷ 1.852 = 32.4 knots. A land forecast in km/h needs converting before it matches the marine forecast, which is in knots and uses the Beaufort thresholds: force 7 near gale is 28 to 33 knots, so 60 km/h is the top of force 7. A gale warning is issued at 34 knots, 63 km/h; a storm at 48 knots, 89 km/h.

Worked example: a 15 km/h yacht

15 ÷ 1.852 = 8.1 knots. Sailing speeds are always talked about in knots, and a displacement hull's speed limit is about 1.34 × √(waterline length in feet) knots, so a 36 ft boat tops out around 8 knots. A motorboat at 40 km/h is 21.6 knots; a jet ski at 100 km/h is 54 knots.

Aircraft

Airspeed indicators read knots. A light aircraft cruising at 200 km/h is 108 knots; an airliner at 870 km/h true airspeed is 470 knots. A 30 km/h crosswind on the runway is 16 knots, within most aircraft limits; a 60 km/h crosswind, 32 knots, is not.

Metres per second and mph

1 km/h is 0.2778 m/s and 0.6214 mph. Meteorological data is stored in m/s, British land forecasts use mph, and shipping and aviation use knots. Both conversions have their own pages.

Rule of thumb

Halve it and add 8%, or multiply by 0.54. 50 km/h is 27 knots; 100 km/h is 54; 200 km/h is 108. Halving alone is 7% low, which is fine for chat and not for a passage plan, so use the converter for anything written into a log.

Worked example: a 20 knot wind

20 × 1.852 = 37 km/h. Marine and aviation forecasts give wind in knots. Beaufort force 5, a fresh breeze, is 17 to 21 knots, 31 to 38 km/h. A gale, force 8, begins at 34 knots, 63 km/h. Storm force 10 begins at 48 knots, 89 km/h, and hurricane force 12 at 64 knots, 118 km/h.

Worked example: a ferry at 22 knots

22 × 1.852 = 40.7 km/h. A cruising yacht makes 6 knots, 11 km/h; a cross-Channel ferry about 22; a container ship 20 to 24; a fast catamaran 40 knots, 74 km/h. A crossing of 21 nautical miles at 22 knots takes 57 minutes, and the arithmetic is easier in knots than after converting.

Kilometre per hour to knots formula and table

The formula on this page is knots = km/h ÷ 1.852, applied exactly before rounding for display.

How many knots in 1 kilometre per hour? 1 km/h is 0.54 kn. Likewise 10 km/h is 5.3996 kn, 50 km/h is 27 kn, 100 km/h is 54 kn.

Kilometre per hour to knot conversion table

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