How to Figure Nautical Miles

Nautical miles are used almost exclusively by sailors and aviators during their time on or over the water. A nautical mile is slightly longer than a standard mile, and denotes approximately one minute of arc of latitude along a meridian line. Nautical miles are used predominately for ease-of-reference with sea-going charts. If you wish to calculate the distance between two points in nautical miles, you will need to convert from standard miles to nautical miles.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure out the distance between the two points on the map.

   • 2

     Compare the distance to the map key. The key will tell you how many miles is in an inch of distance on the map.

   • 3

     Multiply the distance in miles by .868976242. This will give you the distance in nautical miles.