Nautical Miles to Km Converter

Convert nautical miles to kilometres instantly. Free nautical miles to km converter for maritime navigation.

nm
=
β€”
km

Formula

km = nm x 1.852

Common Conversions

1 nm1.85
5 nm9.26
10 nm18.52
25 nm46.30
50 nm92.60
100 nm185.20
500 nm926.00

How to Convert Nautical Miles to Kilometres

1 nautical mile = 1.852 km exactly. Multiply nautical miles by 1.852. So 100 nm Γ— 1.852 = 185.2 km. The nautical mile is defined as exactly 1,852 metres - chosen to equal 1 minute of latitude (1/60 of a degree) along Earth's meridian, making navigation and chart work elegantly aligned.

Used for: ocean/sea distance, aviation flight distance, maritime law (12 nautical miles = territorial waters). London to New York: 3,000 nautical miles = 5,556 km = 3,453 statute miles. The nautical mile differs from the statute (regular) mile (1,609 m) - 1 nm = 1.151 statute miles. Don't conflate them in distance estimates.

Common Nautical Miles to Km

Nautical MilesKilometres
1 nm1.852 km
12 nm (territorial)22.224 km
50 nm92.6 km
100 nm185.2 km
200 nm (EEZ outer)370.4 km
500 nm926.0 km
1000 nm1852.0 km
3000 nm (transAtlantic)5556.0 km

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use nautical miles for sailing?

Aligns with charts. A standard nautical chart uses 1 minute of latitude as 1 nautical mile - measure distance with dividers along the latitude scale. This direct visual relationship doesn't exist in km/statute mile systems.

Are nautical miles used in flight?

Yes. Aviation uses nautical miles for distance and knots for speed - same maritime convention. Flight plans, navigation, ATC all use nautical miles. Commercial flights typically cruise at 450-490 knots (520-565 mph). Chart distances quoted in nm.

More tools β†’