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Utilboxes

Speed Converter

Convert speed across the units used for driving, running, sailing and flying — including knots and Mach.

Runs entirely in your browser

How to use the Speed Converter

  1. 1Type a value into any box — every other unit updates as you type.
  2. 2Use the swap button to flip the two headline units.
  3. 3Copy any result with the button beside it.
  4. 4Adjust the decimal places if you need more or less precision.

How it works

Every speed is converted through metres per second, the SI base. Because the mile and the nautical mile are both exactly defined in metres, the conversions between mph, km/h and knots are exact rather than approximate.

Mach is the exception and deserves a caveat: it is a ratio to the local speed of sound, which changes with air temperature. The value used here, 340.29 m/s, is the standard sea-level figure at 15 °C. At cruising altitude the speed of sound is nearer 295 m/s, so Mach 1 there is a considerably slower ground speed.

Conversion works by taking your value to a single base unit and then out again, so every pair of units is consistent with every other. Values are calculated at full double precision and only rounded for display, which means round-tripping a number through two conversions returns what you started with.

The formula

value in target = (value × m/s per source unit) ÷ m/s per target unit
m/s
metres per second, the base unit
knot
one nautical mile per hour, exactly 1852/3600 m/s
Mach
a ratio to the speed of sound, taken at sea level and 15 °C

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert km/h to mph quickly?
Multiply by 0.621, or roughly divide by 1.6. So 100 km/h is about 62 mph.
What is a knot?
One nautical mile per hour, about 1.852 km/h or 1.151 mph. It is standard in aviation and at sea because it maps directly onto latitude on a chart.
Why does Mach depend on altitude?
Because the speed of sound depends on air temperature, which falls with altitude. Mach 1 is about 1,225 km/h at sea level but nearer 1,062 km/h at 11,000 metres.
How accurate are these conversions?
Factors derive from the exact length definitions, so mph and km/h conversions are precise. All arithmetic is done at full precision and rounded only when displayed, so results are exact to the digits shown.