Convert Kilometers to Nautical Miles

Kilometer to Nautical Mile Formula

A nautical mile is based on the Earth's circumference. It's defined as one minute of latitude (a measure of how far north or south you are). Because of this, nautical miles are slightly longer than statute miles (the "regular" miles used on land in some countries). A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters.

Why use this conversion?

This conversion is very important in a few specific areas:

• Maritime Navigation

  Ships and boats almost always use nautical miles to measure distances at sea. Charts and navigational tools are designed around nautical miles. If a captain needs to know how far their ship has traveled, and the distance is given in kilometers, they *must* convert to nautical miles.

• Aviation

  Pilots also use nautical miles for navigation. Flight distances and airspeeds are often measured in nautical miles (and knots, which are nautical miles per hour). Converting from kilometers is crucial for flight planning, especially on international flights where distances might be given in kilometers.

• Weather Forecasting

  Meteorologists, especially those forecasting for marine or aviation, sometimes need to work with both units. Wind speeds and the movement of weather systems over the ocean are often discussed in terms of nautical miles.

• International Shipping

  Shipping companies that operate globally need to be fluent in both metric (kilometers) and nautical measurements for planning routes and calculating fuel needs. Precise conversions are essential for efficiency and safety.

Use our easy calculator to make these conversions above!