How many knots are in a kilometer per hour?

1 km/h = 0.539957 kn. To convert any amount, multiply by 0.539957.

How do you convert kilometers per hour to knots?

Multiply the number of kilometers per hour by 0.539957 to get knots. The formula is shown in the "How it's calculated" section above.

Where does the conversion factor come from?

It's a published international standard. Most are defined exactly by international agreement (e.g. 1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). Source citations are listed under the formula above.

Unit converter — Velocity

Kilometers per hour to knots converter

Convert kilometers per hour (km/h) to knots (kn). Source-cited conversion factor, exact to the displayed precision.

Results are mathematically exact for the displayed precision. How we calculate.

How it's calculated

Convert kilometers per hour to knots— the formula

Kilometers per hour convert to knots by multiplying by the published conversion factor. The factor below is exact to the precision shown, sourced from the citation under the formula.

kn = km/h × 0.539957

km/h = kn × 1.852

m/s: SI derived (m × s⁻¹). 1 km/h = 1000/3600 m/s; 1 mph = 0.44704 m/s exactly; 1 knot = 1852/3600 m/s exactly (international nautical mile).

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How many knots are in a kilometer per hour?
1 km/h = 0.539957 kn. To convert any amount, multiply by 0.539957.
How do you convert kilometers per hour to knots?
Multiply the number of kilometers per hour by 0.539957 to get knots. The formula is shown in the "How it's calculated" section above.
Where does the conversion factor come from?
It's a published international standard. Most are defined exactly by international agreement (e.g. 1 inch = 25.4 mm exactly, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). Source citations are listed under the formula above.