How to convert nautical miles to kilometers
- Take the value in nautical miles.
- Use the formula kilometers = nautical miles × 1.852.
- For example, 1 nmi is 1.85 km.
About nautical miles and kilometers
A nautical mile is defined as exactly 1,852 meters, so multiply nautical miles by 1.852 to get kilometers. For a quick estimate double the number and take off about 7%: 50 nmi gives 93 km against the exact 92.6 km.
Ships, aircraft and sea charts use nautical miles, and so do maritime borders. The figure 1,852 m was chosen because it is close to one minute of latitude, which lets navigators measure distance straight off the side of a chart.
Examples
- 1 nmi (one nautical mile) is 1.85 km
- 12 nmi (the usual limit of a country’s territorial sea) is 22.22 km
- 60 nmi (about one degree of latitude) is 111.12 km
- 200 nmi (the outer limit of an exclusive economic zone) is 370.4 km
Nautical miles to kilometers chart
| Nautical miles (nmi) | Kilometers (km) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.185 |
| 0.25 | 0.463 |
| 0.5 | 0.926 |
| 1 | 1.85 |
| 2 | 3.7 |
| 3 | 5.56 |
| 5 | 9.26 |
| 10 | 18.52 |
| 12 | 22.22 |
| 15 | 27.78 |
| 20 | 37.04 |
| Nautical miles (nmi) | Kilometers (km) |
|---|---|
| 24 | 44.45 |
| 25 | 46.3 |
| 50 | 92.6 |
| 60 | 111.12 |
| 100 | 185.2 |
| 150 | 277.8 |
| 200 | 370.4 |
| 250 | 463 |
| 500 | 926 |
| 1,000 | 1,852 |
| 3,000 | 5,556 |