How many NM is 1 statute mile?

One statute mile equals approximately 0.86898 NM.

Why are they different?

The statute mile (5,280 feet = 1,609 m) was defined by English law from farming. The nautical mile (1,852 m) was defined from Earth's geometry (1 arcminute of latitude). Different origins, different lengths.

Nautical Miles to Miles (nmi to mi) Converter

1 nmi = 1.1508 mi

1 Nautical Mile equals 1.1508 Miles (1 nmi = 1.1508 mi). Convert Nautical Miles to Miles with formula, table, and examples.

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.15078 statute miles. This is the most important NM conversion for Americans: the nautical mile is about 15% longer than the statute mile. Confusing these two 'miles' is a common and potentially dangerous error.

How to Convert Nautical Miles to Miles

mi = nmi × 1.150779448

Multiply the value in Nautical Miles by 1.150779448

Take your value in Nautical Miles
Multiply by 1.150779448
Read the result in Miles

Common Nautical Miles to Miles Conversions

Nautical Miles (nmi)	Miles (mi)	Status
0.1 nmi	0.1151 mi
0.5 nmi	0.5754 mi
1 nmi	1.1508 mi
2 nmi	2.3016 mi
5 nmi	5.7539 mi
10 nmi	11.5078 mi
50 nmi	57.539 mi
100 nmi	115.0779 mi
500 nmi	575.3897 mi
1,000 nmi	1,150.7794 mi
3,000 nmi	3,452.3383 mi
5,000 nmi	5,753.8972 mi
10,000 nmi	11,507.7945 mi
21,600 nmi	24,856.8361 mi

Good to Know About Nautical Miles to Miles Conversion

The NM and statute mile are the world's most confusing pair of similar-sounding units. One is for water and air; the other is for land. They differ by 15.08%. Every maritime and aviation professional memorizes this difference. Every tourist gets confused by it.

Nautical Miles to Miles: What You Need to Know

1 NM = 1.151 statute miles. A ship at 20 knots travels at about 23 mph. A 3,000 NM transatlantic crossing is about 3,452 statute miles. Aviation reports distance in NM; American road distances are in statute miles. Travelers must convert between them.

What is a Nautical Mile? nmi

Exactly 1852 meters by international agreement. Based on one minute of arc of latitude at the Earth's surface. The standard unit for maritime and air navigation.

Nautical maritime navigation aviation international shipping

Learn more about Nautical Mile →

What is a Mile? mi

An imperial unit of length equal to 5,280 feet or approximately 1.609 kilometers. The standard unit for road distances in the US and UK.

Imperial Us-customary road distances (US/UK) running aviation

Learn more about Mile →

Going the other way? Use our Miles to Nautical Miles converter.

Nautical Miles to Miles FAQ

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.15078 statute miles.
One statute mile equals approximately 0.86898 NM.
The statute mile (5,280 feet = 1,609 m) was defined by English law from farming. The nautical mile (1,852 m) was defined from Earth's geometry (1 arcminute of latitude). Different origins, different lengths.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Nautical Miles to Miles

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

The Gimli Glider (1983) ran out of fuel partly due to a metric conversion error between pounds and kilograms, not miles. But NM-vs-mile confusion has caused fuel miscalculations in general aviation. The 15% difference matters when fuel planning. Running out of fuel is never a good surprise.
At 60 mph, you travel 52.1 NM/h. Road signs reading 'Speed Limit 52 NM/h' would have lower numbers, making drivers feel slower. Psychologically, NM speed limits might reduce speeding. Traffic safety through unit confusion.
Add about 15%. 20 knots = about 23 mph. 100 knots = about 115 mph. More precisely: multiply knots by 1.151. Or: knots + (knots/7) gives a rough answer. Pilots learn this conversion before they learn to land.