What is the number of nautical miles in 1 statute mile?

• A. 1.15 NM
• B. 1.00 NM
• C. 0.87 NM
• D. 0.75 NM

Answer: (C)

Distance in nautical miles differs from distance in statute miles because they’re defined using different standards for length. A nautical mile is based on the Earth’s geometry: 1 nautical mile equals 1 minute of latitude and is exactly 1852 meters (about 6076.1 feet). A statute mile is defined as 5280 feet (about 1609.3 meters). To convert, divide the statute-mile distance by the number of feet per nautical mile: 5280 feet ÷ 6076.1 feet per NM ≈ 0.8696 NM. Rounding gives about 0.87 nautical miles. So 1 statute mile is roughly 0.87 NM.