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Single conversion
To convert from Mile (mi) to Nautical Mile (nMi), use the following formula:
Let's convert 5 Mile (mi) to Nautical Mile (nMi).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Mile (mi) is equal to Nautical Mile (nMi).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Mile (mi) to Nautical Mile (nMi):
| Miles | Nautical Miles |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 mi | nMi |
| 0.001 mi | nMi |
| 0.1 mi | nMi |
| 1 mi | nMi |
| 2 mi | nMi |
| 3 mi | nMi |
| 4 mi | nMi |
| 5 mi | nMi |
| 6 mi | nMi |
| 7 mi | nMi |
| 8 mi | nMi |
| 9 mi | nMi |
| 10 mi | nMi |
| 20 mi | nMi |
| 30 mi | nMi |
| 40 mi | nMi |
| 50 mi | nMi |
| 100 mi | nMi |
| 1000 mi | nMi |
| 10000 mi | nMi |
For all Length converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
A mile (mi) is a common unit of length used in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement.
The official definition of a mile is 5,280 feet (ft). The plural form is miles.
The word "mile" has ancient roots, originating from the Latin phrase "mille passus," which translates to "a thousand paces."
In ancient Rome, one pace was measured as two steps (one left and one right). The Roman mile was therefore 1,000 paces, which equals approximately 4,850 feet—slightly shorter than the modern mile.
Not all miles are created equal. While most people are familiar with the land mile, there is also a separate measurement used for air and sea travel.
The commonly used mile on land is the statute mile, which is officially defined as 5,280 feet. This measurement is used for driving distances and most other land-based activities in the imperial system.
The nautical mile is used for navigation in aviation and maritime settings. It is based on the Earth's circumference and is equal to one minute of arc of latitude. A nautical mile is longer than a statute mile.
Here's a quick comparison:
The seemingly random number of 5,280 feet in a mile comes from English history. In 1593, the English Parliament, under Queen Elizabeth I, passed a statute to standardize units of measurement.
The statute defined the official length of a mile as being equal to 8 furlongs. Since one furlong was already established as 660 feet, the calculation was simple:
This decision solidified the length of the statute mile that we still use today in countries that follow the imperial system.
A nautical mile (nmi) is a unit of measurement used for sea and air travel, equal to 6,076 feet or 1,852 meters.
Quick Facts:
A nautical mile is based directly on the size and shape of the Earth.
It is defined as one minute of arc along a meridian (a line of longitude).
Imagine the Earth as a circle of 360 degrees. Each of those degrees is divided into 60 smaller parts called "minutes."
One nautical mile is equal to one of these minutes of latitude.
This direct link to the planet's geometry makes the nautical mile essential for navigators, as it simplifies calculations on maps and charts.
While they both measure distance, nautical miles and statute miles (used on land) are not the same.
The key difference lies in how they are calculated and used.
Statute Mile: This is the mile you know from road signs, equal to 5,280 feet. It's a fixed distance that doesn't take into account the Earth's curvature.
Nautical Mile: This is a longer measurement, approximately 1.15 statute miles (6,076 feet). It is based on the Earth's curvature, aligning with the degrees of latitude and longitude used on navigational charts.
Using statute miles for long-distance sea or air travel would lead to significant errors, which is why navigators exclusively use nautical miles to ensure accuracy.
In maritime and aviation, speed isn't measured in miles per hour—it's measured in knots.
A knot is a unit of speed, not distance.
It is defined simply as one nautical mile per hour. This makes calculations very straightforward: a ship traveling at a steady 15 knots will cover 15 nautical miles in precisely one hour.
The term comes from the old sailors' practice of using a rope with knots tied at regular intervals, thrown overboard, to measure a ship's speed.