Miles to Nautical Miles Converter
Convert statute miles to nautical miles — a nautical mile is about 15% longer. Results update as you type; exact factors shown.
One mile is 0.869 nautical miles — see the exact factor, not a rounded rule of thumb.
How the miles to nautical miles converter works
Every length is converted through the metre, the SI base unit of length. The inch has been defined as exactly 25.4 mm since the 1959 international yard and pound agreement, so a foot is exactly 0.3048 m, a yard 0.9144 m and a statute mile 1,609.344 m. The nautical mile is 1,852 m by international definition.
Australia is fully metric under the National Measurement Act 1960; imperial units appear only in trade with the US and in older documents.
Common length conversions
| From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mi | 0.869 nmi | mile to nautical miles |
| 2 mi | 1.738 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 5 mi | 4.3449 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 10 mi | 8.6898 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 20 mi | 17.3795 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 50 mi | 43.4488 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 100 mi | 86.8976 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 200 mi | 173.7952 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 500 mi | 434.4881 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 1,000 mi | 868.9762 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 2,000 mi | 1,737.9525 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
| 5,000 mi | 4,344.8812 nmi | miles to nautical miles |
Units in this converter and their exact factors
| Unit | Symbol | One unit in metres |
|---|---|---|
| millimetre | mm | 0.001 metre |
| centimetre | cm | 0.01 metre |
| metre | m | 1 metre |
| kilometre | km | 1,000 metre |
| inch | in | 0.0254 metre |
| foot | ft | 0.3048 metre |
| yard | yd | 0.9144 metre |
| mile | mi | 1,609.344 metre |
| nautical mile | nmi | 1,852 metre |
FAQFrequently asked questions about length conversion
How long is a nautical mile?
Exactly 1,852 metres — 1.151 statute miles.
Why is it different?
Because it is defined from the Earth: one minute of latitude, which makes navigation arithmetic trivial.
What is a knot?
One nautical mile per hour.
Who uses nautical miles?
Shipping and aviation, everywhere, regardless of the country's other units.
What is 100 miles in nautical miles?
86.9 nautical miles.
Where these figures come from
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure, 9th edition) — definitions of the base and derived units.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units — the exact conversion factors used here.
- National Measurement Institute (NMI) — Australia's national measurement authority.
Last checked: September 2026. Conversion factors are fixed by definition and do not change with tax years or regulations.