Convert Kilometre per hour to Knot

1 kilometre per hour = 0.5399568 knot (kn). For example, 10 kilometre per hour = 5.399568 knot and 100 kilometre per hour = 53.99568 knot. Type any value below to convert kilometre per hour to knot both ways — it runs entirely in your browser.

Try:

Quick answer: Kilometre per hour to Knot

1 Kilometre per hour = 0.5399568 Knot (km/h → kn). To convert kilometre per hour to knot, multiply by 0.5399568. To convert knot to kilometre per hour, multiply by 1.852. The converter at the top does this instantly and both ways; the sections below give the formula, worked examples, a full conversion chart and answers to the most common kilometre per hour-to-knot questions.

How to convert Kilometre per hour to Knot

To convert kilometre per hour to knot, multiply the number of kilometre per hour by the conversion factor 0.5399568, because 1 km/h = 0.5399568 kn. The conversion is linear, so the same factor works for any value — whole numbers, decimals or fractions. For the reverse direction, 1 kn = 1.852 km/h, so you divide by 0.5399568 (or multiply by 1.852) to turn knot back into kilometre per hour.

kn = km/h × 0.5399568  ·  km/h = kn × 1.852

  1. Write down the value you want to convert, in kilometre per hour.
  2. Multiply it by 0.5399568.
  3. The result is the same area/length/quantity expressed in knot.

Kilometre per hour to Knot — worked examples

Each row shows the exact arithmetic so you can follow the conversion step by step. For example, 5 kilometre per hour is 2.699784 knot because 5 km/h × 0.5399568 = 2.699784 kn.

Kilometre per hourCalculationKnot
1 km/h1 km/h × 0.5399568 = 0.5399568 kn0.5399568 kn
2 km/h2 km/h × 0.5399568 = 1.079914 kn1.079914 kn
3 km/h3 km/h × 0.5399568 = 1.61987 kn1.61987 kn
5 km/h5 km/h × 0.5399568 = 2.699784 kn2.699784 kn
7 km/h7 km/h × 0.5399568 = 3.779698 kn3.779698 kn
10 km/h10 km/h × 0.5399568 = 5.399568 kn5.399568 kn
12 km/h12 km/h × 0.5399568 = 6.479482 kn6.479482 kn
15 km/h15 km/h × 0.5399568 = 8.099352 kn8.099352 kn
20 km/h20 km/h × 0.5399568 = 10.79914 kn10.79914 kn
25 km/h25 km/h × 0.5399568 = 13.49892 kn13.49892 kn
50 km/h50 km/h × 0.5399568 = 26.99784 kn26.99784 kn
100 km/h100 km/h × 0.5399568 = 53.99568 kn53.99568 kn

Common Kilometre per hour to Knot conversions

These are the kilometre per hour-to-knot values people look up most often. Every figure is computed from the exact factor, so you can rely on them for quick reference:

  • 1 kilometre per hour = 0.5399568 knot
  • 2 kilometre per hour = 1.079914 knot
  • 2.5 kilometre per hour = 1.349892 knot
  • 3 kilometre per hour = 1.61987 knot
  • 4 kilometre per hour = 2.159827 knot
  • 5 kilometre per hour = 2.699784 knot
  • 6 kilometre per hour = 3.239741 knot
  • 7 kilometre per hour = 3.779698 knot
  • 8 kilometre per hour = 4.319654 knot
  • 9 kilometre per hour = 4.859611 knot
  • 10 kilometre per hour = 5.399568 knot
  • 12 kilometre per hour = 6.479482 knot
  • 15 kilometre per hour = 8.099352 knot
  • 20 kilometre per hour = 10.79914 knot
  • 25 kilometre per hour = 13.49892 knot
  • 30 kilometre per hour = 16.1987 knot
  • 50 kilometre per hour = 26.99784 knot
  • 75 kilometre per hour = 40.49676 knot
  • 100 kilometre per hour = 53.99568 knot
  • 200 kilometre per hour = 107.9914 knot
  • 500 kilometre per hour = 269.9784 knot
  • 1000 kilometre per hour = 539.9568 knot

Kilometre per hour to Knot conversion chart (both directions)

The chart below converts kilometre per hour to knot and knot to kilometre per hour side by side, so it works whichever way you need. 1 kilometre per hour = 0.5399568 knot, and 1 knot = 1.852 kilometre per hour.

Kilometre per hour → KnotKnot → Kilometre per hour
0.25 km/h = 0.1349892 kn0.25 kn = 0.463 km/h
0.5 km/h = 0.2699784 kn0.5 kn = 0.926 km/h
1 km/h = 0.5399568 kn1 kn = 1.852 km/h
2 km/h = 1.079914 kn2 kn = 3.704 km/h
3 km/h = 1.61987 kn3 kn = 5.556 km/h
4 km/h = 2.159827 kn4 kn = 7.408 km/h
5 km/h = 2.699784 kn5 kn = 9.26 km/h
6 km/h = 3.239741 kn6 kn = 11.112 km/h
7 km/h = 3.779698 kn7 kn = 12.964 km/h
8 km/h = 4.319654 kn8 kn = 14.816 km/h
9 km/h = 4.859611 kn9 kn = 16.668 km/h
10 km/h = 5.399568 kn10 kn = 18.52 km/h
12 km/h = 6.479482 kn12 kn = 22.224 km/h
15 km/h = 8.099352 kn15 kn = 27.78 km/h
20 km/h = 10.79914 kn20 kn = 37.04 km/h
25 km/h = 13.49892 kn25 kn = 46.3 km/h
30 km/h = 16.1987 kn30 kn = 55.56 km/h
40 km/h = 21.59827 kn40 kn = 74.08 km/h
50 km/h = 26.99784 kn50 kn = 92.6 km/h
75 km/h = 40.49676 kn75 kn = 138.9 km/h
100 km/h = 53.99568 kn100 kn = 185.2 km/h
150 km/h = 80.99352 kn150 kn = 277.8 km/h
200 km/h = 107.9914 kn200 kn = 370.4 km/h
250 km/h = 134.9892 kn250 kn = 463 km/h
500 km/h = 269.9784 kn500 kn = 926 km/h
1000 km/h = 539.9568 kn1000 kn = 1,852 km/h

Kilometre per hour vs Knot: which is bigger?

1 km/h1 kn
Relative size of 1 Kilometre per hour (km/h) and 1 Knot (kn).

A knot is the larger unit: one knot equals 1.852 kilometre per hours. Put another way, you need 1.852 kilometre per hours to make a single knot.

What is a Kilometre per hour? History, origin and usage

The kilometre per hour pairs the metric kilometre with the hour, and it became the everyday road-speed unit as the metric system spread worldwide. It is a non-coherent metric unit — it mixes the kilometre with the hour rather than the second — but its human scale made it the popular choice for travel.

Kilometres per hour is the speed unit on road signs and vehicle speedometers across most of the world, the metric standard for traffic and travel. Many countries’ weather services also report wind speeds in km/h.

One kilometre per hour is exactly five-eighteenths of a metre per second, because an hour is 3,600 seconds and a kilometre is 1,000 metres. Most of the world posts road-sign speed limits in km/h, with the United States and United Kingdom among the few using miles per hour.

What is a Knot? History, origin and usage

The knot takes its name from the old “chip log”: a knotted rope tied to a wooden panel was let out behind a ship while a sand-glass timed it, and the number of knots that ran through the sailor’s fingers gave the speed. The knots were spaced so that this count equalled the ship’s speed in nautical miles per hour — a method accurate to within a fraction of a percent of the modern value.

One knot is one nautical mile per hour, and it remains the standard speed unit in maritime and aviation navigation and in meteorology for wind speed. Its convenience is that a nautical mile equals one minute of latitude, so speed in knots ties directly to position on a chart.

A knot is exactly 1.852 kilometres per hour, the nautical mile being fixed at 1,852 metres. The United States adopted this international definition in 1954 and the United Kingdom in 1970; US aviation moved to knots and nautical miles around 1969.

Convert 1 Kilometre per hour to other units

It can help to see a kilometre per hour next to the other units it is commonly compared with. One kilometre per hour (km/h) is equal to:

1 Kilometre per hour equalsUnit
0.2777778 m/sMetre per second
0.6213712 mphMile per hour
0.9113444 ft/sFoot per second
27.77778 cm/sCentimetre per second
277.7778 mm/sMillimetre per second
0.5399568 knKnot

Convert 1 Knot to other units

One knot (kn) is equal to:

1 Knot equalsUnit
0.5144444 m/sMetre per second
1.852 km/hKilometre per hour
1.150779 mphMile per hour
1.68781 ft/sFoot per second
51.44444 cm/sCentimetre per second
514.4444 mm/sMillimetre per second

Tips for converting Kilometre per hour to Knot

  • To go from kilometre per hour to knot, multiply by 0.5399568; to go back, divide by 0.5399568 (or multiply by 1.852).
  • For a quick mental estimate, remember that 1 kilometre per hour ≈ 0.5399568 knot, so 10 kilometre per hour ≈ 5.399568 knot.
  • The converter above keeps full precision; the tables round for readability, so use the tool for exact figures.
  • Both fields update live as you type — change either side to convert in that direction.

How to use this Kilometre per hour to Knot converter

Type a number into the Kilometre per hour field and the equivalent in Knot appears instantly — there is no “convert” button to press and nothing is sent to a server, so it works offline once the page has loaded and is safe for any data. You can also type into the Knot field to convert the other way (knot to kilometre per hour). Use the swap control to flip the two units, and copy the result with a single click. Because the calculation runs in your browser with full floating-point precision, the converter is more exact than the rounded figures shown in the reference chart above — use the chart for quick look-ups and the tool for precise work.

Accuracy and method

Every figure on this page — the formula, the worked examples, the conversion chart and the “convert to other units” tables — is computed from a single verified conversion factor (1 km/h = 0.5399568 kn), never copied from a hand-typed lookup table that could drift. That factor is derived from each unit’s definition in terms of a common base unit, and an automated check re-verifies all of the site’s factors on every update, so the numbers here stay correct over time. This matters for kilometre per hour-to-knot conversions because a small rounding error in a published table compounds quickly at larger quantities; computing from the exact factor avoids that.

Sources

  • NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the SI — publishes the exact metric equivalents of the customary units. The inch, foot, yard and mile are defined exactly in metres by the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement, so every imperial figure on this page is exact, not rounded.
  • BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure) — the defining document for the SI, published by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It fixes the base unit that this conversion resolves to, which is why the factor here can be exact rather than approximate.

All speed factors are exact: 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h, 1 mph = 1.609344 km/h, 1 knot = 1.852 km/h, 1 ft/s = 0.3048 m/s. So the live tool and every number on this page always agree.

Frequently asked questions

How many knot are in 1 kilometre per hour?
1 kilometre per hour = 0.5399568 knot (kn). To convert any number of kilometre per hour to knot, multiply by 0.5399568.
How do I convert kilometre per hour to knot?
Multiply the number of kilometre per hour by 0.5399568. For example, 10 kilometre per hour = 10 × 0.5399568 = 5.399568 knot, and 25 kilometre per hour = 13.49892 knot.
How many kilometre per hour are in 1 knot?
1 knot = 1.852 kilometre per hour. So to convert knot back to kilometre per hour, multiply by 1.852.
What is the formula to convert kilometre per hour to knot?
knot = kilometre per hour × 0.5399568. The reverse formula is kilometre per hour = knot × 1.852.
How much is 100 kilometre per hour in knot?
100 kilometre per hour = 53.99568 knot. (And 1000 kilometre per hour = 539.9568 knot.)
Which is bigger, a kilometre per hour or a knot?
A knot is larger: 1 knot = 1.852 kilometre per hour.
Is this kilometre per hour to knot converter accurate?
Yes — every value is computed from the exact 0.5399568 kn per km/h factor (not rounded look-up tables), and the factors are re-verified automatically on every update.
Can I convert knot to kilometre per hour too?
Yes. The converter works both ways — enter a value in either field. 1 knot = 1.852 kilometre per hour.

Related speed conversions

See all speed conversions →