Convert Kilometers per hour (km/h) (kmh) to Knot (kn) (knot)
Category: Speed
1 kmh = 0.539957 knot
High-precision rounding: 6 decimals
How to convert kilometers per hour (km/h) to knot (kn)
We convert by pivoting through the SI base unit for Speed and applying exact factors where applicable.
Share this conversion: /convert/kilometer-per-hour-to-knot
Quick conversion table
Handy values for Kilometers per hour (km/h) → Knot (kn). Click a value to open that exact result.
Conversion formula
Linear unit conversions use standardized factors; many are exact by definition (e.g., 1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 ft = 0.3048 m).
Common mistakes
- Mixing mph with knots in navigation; 1 kn = 1 nmi/h.
Unit facts
- Kilometers per hour (km/h): Kilometers per hour is the common road-speed unit in most of the world.
- Knot (kn): A knot equals one nautical mile per hour (1.852 km/h); used in aviation and maritime navigation.
About Speed
Speed combines distance and time. Science favors m/s, drivers see km/h or mph, and navigation uses knots (nautical miles per hour). Context determines the most convenient representation and rounding.
About Kilometers per hour (km/h)
Kilometers per hour (km/h)
Road and vehicle speed standard in most of the world. Convert from m/s by multiplying by 3.6.
History: Adopted with metric traffic systems and signage during 20th-century metrication.
About Knot (kn)
Knot (kn)
Equals 1 nautical mile per hour. Standard in maritime and aviation because it ties speed to Earth geometry.
History: Name comes from counting knots in a log line; standardized with the nautical mile.
Related conversions from kmh
- kmh → mach Mach (sea-level approx.)
- kmh → ms Meters per second (m/s)
- kmh → mph Miles per hour (mph)
Related conversions to knot
- mach → knot Mach (sea-level approx.)
- ms → knot Meters per second (m/s)
- mph → knot Miles per hour (mph)