Mile per hour to Meter per second Converter

Convert miles per hour to meters per second with our free online speed converter.

Quick Answer

1 Mile per hour = 0.44704 meters per second

Formula: Mile per hour × conversion factor = Meter per second

Use the calculator below for instant, accurate conversions.

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All conversion formulas on UnitsConverter.io have been verified against NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines and international SI standards. Our calculations are accurate to 10 decimal places for standard conversions and use arbitrary precision arithmetic for astronomical units.

Last verified: December 2025|Reviewed by: Sam Mathew, Software Engineer

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How to Use the Mile per hour to Meter per second Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Mile per hour).
The converted value in Meter per second will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Speed category.
Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.

How to Convert Mile per hour to Meter per second: Step-by-Step Guide

Converting Mile per hour to Meter per second involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Mile per hour = 0.44704 meters per second

Example Calculation:

Convert 60 miles per hour: 60 × 0.44704 = 26.8224 meters per second

Disclaimer: For Reference Only

These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.

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What is a Mile per hour and a Meter per second?

Miles per hour (symbol: mph, MPH, or mi/h) is a unit of speed expressing the number of statute miles traveled in one hour.

Formula: Speed (mph) = Distance (miles) ÷ Time (hours)

Mathematical relationships:

1 mph = 1.60934 km/h (kilometers per hour)
1 mph = 0.44704 m/s (meters per second)
1 mph = 1.46667 ft/s (feet per second)
1 mph = 0.868976 knots

Key mental math: At 60 mph:

You travel exactly 1 mile per minute
You travel 88 feet per second
You cover about 97 km/h

Why Miles per Hour Works

Intuitive scaling: The numbers align well with human driving speeds:

Walking: 3-4 mph
Residential driving: 25-35 mph
Highway cruising: 60-70 mph
Fast driving: 80-90 mph

Easy mental math at 60 mph: When driving 60 mph, distance and time calculations become trivial:

30 miles away = 30 minutes
90 miles away = 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
120 miles away = 120 minutes (2 hours)

This makes 60 mph a natural "reference speed" for American drivers.

and Standards

The meter per second is defined as:

SI Definition

1 m/s = the velocity of a body that travels a distance of one meter in a time interval of one second.

Formula: v (m/s) = distance (m) / time (s)

SI coherence: The meter per second is a coherent derived unit, meaning it's derived directly from SI base units (meter and second) without numerical factors other than 1.

Why m/s is the "Standard"

Coherent unit integration: Physics equations work directly without conversion factors:

Force: F = ma → 1 Newton = 1 kg × 1 m/s² (acceleration in m/s²)
Momentum: p = mv → 1 kg·m/s (velocity in m/s)
Kinetic energy: KE = ½mv² → 1 Joule = 1 kg × (1 m/s)²
Power: P = Fv → 1 Watt = 1 N × 1 m/s

If you used km/h or mph, every equation would need messy conversion factors. Using m/s keeps mathematics clean and consistent across all branches of physics and engineering.

Standard Conversions

Metric conversions:

1 m/s = 3.6 km/h (exactly, since 1 hour = 3,600 seconds)
1 m/s = 0.001 km/s (kilometer per second)
1 m/s = 100 cm/s (centimeter per second)
1 m/s = 1,000 mm/s (millimeter per second)

Imperial/US conversions:

1 m/s = 3.28084 ft/s (feet per second)
1 m/s = 2.23694 mph (miles per hour)
1 m/s = 196.850 ft/min (feet per minute)

Marine/aviation:

1 m/s = 1.94384 knots (nautical miles per hour)
1 m/s = 0.00291545 Mach (at sea level, 15°C standard atmosphere)

Relationship to Acceleration

Meters per second squared (m/s²) measures acceleration (rate of change of velocity):

Gravity: g = 9.8 m/s² (velocity increases 9.8 m/s every second when falling)
Car acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 5 seconds = average 5.6 m/s² acceleration
Space shuttle launch: ~30 m/s² (3g) maximum acceleration

Note: The Mile per hour is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Meter per second belongs to the metric (SI) system.

History of the Mile per hour and Meter per second

Early 19th Century: Railway Origins

1820s-1830s Railway Boom: The first practical use of "miles per hour" appeared in British railway timetables in the 1820s and 1830s. Steam locomotives needed a standardized way to express speed.

Early Rail Speeds:

1825: Stockton & Darlington Railway averaged 15 mph (first passenger railway)
1830: Liverpool & Manchester Railway achieved 30 mph
1848: Railway speed records exceeded 60 mph

Why mph? Britain used statute miles for road distances, making mph the natural choice for rail speed measurement.

Mid-19th Century: Speed Regulation

1865: The "Red Flag Act" (UK): The Locomotive Act of 1865 limited self-propelled vehicles to:

4 mph in open country
2 mph in towns
Required a person with a red flag walking ahead

This was the first national speed limit using mph, though it severely hampered early automotive development.

1896: Repeal and Freedom: The red flag requirement was repealed, allowing vehicles up to 14 mph.

Late 19th Century: Automotive Era Begins

1890s-1900s: Early Automobiles: As automobiles emerged, mph naturally became their speed measurement since roads already used miles for distance.

Early Auto Speeds:

1894: First automobile race averaged 15 mph (Paris-Rouen)
1906: Land speed record reached 127 mph
1920s: Typical cars cruised at 40-50 mph

20th Century: Speed Limits and Standards

1934: First US National Speed Limit (informal): Many states adopted 55-65 mph highway limits.

1974: National Maximum Speed Law (US): Energy crisis led Congress to mandate 55 mph nationwide to conserve fuel (1974-1987).

1987-1995: Speed Limits Raised: States regained control; limits increased to 65 mph on rural interstates.

1995-Present: Modern Speed Limits: Federal speed limit repealed. States set own limits:

Rural interstates: 70-85 mph (Texas has 85 mph zones)
Urban interstates: 55-70 mph
Rural highways: 55-65 mph
Urban streets: 25-45 mph

Global Metrication: The mph Holdouts

1960s-1970s: World Shifts to km/h: Most countries adopted the metric system and switched to km/h:

Australia: 1974
Canada: 1977
Ireland: 2005
South Africa: 1976

mph Survivors: Only a few countries still use mph:

United States: All 50 states use mph exclusively
United Kingdom: Road signs in mph (railways and aviation use km/h or knots)
Some Caribbean nations: Remnants of British colonial influence

and Evolution

The Metric System Birth (1790s)

French Revolution context: Pre-revolutionary France had hundreds of different units varying by region and trade, causing economic chaos and fraud. The revolutionary government sought rational, universal standards.

The meter (1793):

Defined as one ten-millionth (1/10,000,000) of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator through Paris
Physical standard: platinum bar stored in Paris
Intent: Based on Earth itself, accessible to all nations, unchanging

The second:

Already standardized internationally as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day
Based on Earth's rotation (later refined with atomic clocks)

Natural combination: Scientists and engineers naturally combined meters and seconds to express velocity, though initially various fractional units appeared (cm/s in CGS system, km/h for transportation).

19th Century: Scientific Standardization

CGS system (1860s-1870s):

Centimeter-gram-second system popular in physics
Velocity often expressed in cm/s (centimeters per second)
Used in electromagnetism, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics

MKS system (late 1800s):

Meter-kilogram-second system proposed by Giovanni Giorgi (1901)
m/s became the practical velocity unit for engineering
Better suited to human-scale measurements than cm/s

Metre Convention (1875):

Treaty of the Metre established International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)
Standardized meter and kilogram across signatory nations
Enabled consistent velocity measurements internationally—critical for:
- Ballistics and military applications
- Railway engineering (train speeds, braking distances)
- Early aeronautics and automotive engineering

SI System Adoption (1960)

11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM, 1960):

Established the International System of Units (SI)
Formally designated m/s as the coherent derived unit for velocity
Unified previously fragmented metric systems (CGS, MKS, MTS)

Coherence principle: SI units multiply and divide to form other SI units without numerical factors:

Velocity (m/s) = distance (m) / time (s)
Acceleration (m/s²) = velocity (m/s) / time (s)
Force (N = kg·m/s²) = mass (kg) × acceleration (m/s²)
Momentum (kg·m/s) = mass (kg) × velocity (m/s)

Global adoption timeline:

1960s-1970s: Scientific community worldwide adopts SI
1970s-1980s: Most countries transition official measurements to SI
1990s-2000s: International standards (ISO, IEC) require SI units
Current: ~195 countries use metric system officially; US, Liberia, Myanmar hold out for general use but use SI in science

The Speed of Light Definition (1983)

17th CGPM (1983): Redefined the meter based on the speed of light:

Speed of light in vacuum: c = 299,792,458 m/s (exactly, by definition)
The meter is now: the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second
The second is defined by atomic clocks (cesium-133 hyperfine transition)

Implications:

Fundamental constant traceability: m/s is now based on fundamental physics (speed of light), not human artifacts (meter bar)
Ultimate precision: Velocity measurements as accurate as atomic time measurements
Universal standard: Same meter per second measurement anywhere in universe

Common Uses and Applications: miles per hour vs meters per second

Explore the typical applications for both Mile per hour (imperial/US) and Meter per second (metric) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for miles per hour

Road Transportation Standard

Speed Limits: All US road signs display mph:

Speed Limit 25
Speed Limit 55
Speed Limit 70

Speedometers: All vehicles sold in the US have mph as primary scale:

Digital displays: show mph
Analog gauges: mph prominently displayed (km/h smaller, if present)

Traffic Enforcement:

Speed cameras calibrated in mph
Radar guns measure mph
Tickets written in mph ("45 mph in a 30 mph zone")

Weather Forecasting

Wind Speed: US weather reports use mph:

"Winds 10-15 mph"
"Gusts up to 40 mph"
"Sustained winds of 75 mph" (hurricane)

Severe Weather Warnings:

High wind warning: sustained winds 40+ mph
Hurricane watch: sustained winds 74+ mph expected
Tornado warning: rotational winds estimated in mph

Weather Apps: US apps default to mph for wind speed.

Aviation Context (Mixed Use)

Airspeed Indicators: Pilots see:

Knots (nautical miles per hour) - primary in aviation
Some general aviation planes show mph

Ground Speed: GPS and flight computers often display:

Knots for professional aviation
mph option available for private pilots

Weather Briefings: Aviation weather uses knots, but surface winds at some small airports reported in mph.

Sports Performance Measurement

Baseball Pitch Tracking:

MLB stadiums display pitch speed in mph on scoreboards
"95 mph fastball"
Scouting reports use mph

Racing:

NASCAR: "Averaging 185 mph for the lap"
Drag racing: "Trap speed 325 mph"
Land speed records: measured in mph

Speed Skating, Cycling: In US competitions, sometimes reported in mph alongside metric.

Everyday Distance/Time Calculations

Trip Planning: Americans mentally calculate travel time using mph:

"It's 180 miles, so 3 hours at 60 mph"
"I average 70 mph on the highway, so 350 miles takes 5 hours"

Fuel Economy Relationship: MPG (miles per gallon) and mph are connected:

Highway MPG ratings assume 55-65 mph
Fuel economy drops significantly above 70 mph

Real Estate: Property distance to amenities:

"20 minutes at 45 mph = about 15 miles"

When to Use meters per second

Across Industries

Physics and Scientific Research

Fundamental constant: All velocity measurements in research papers reported in m/s
Kinematics: Position, velocity, acceleration equations use m/s and m/s²
Dynamics: Force, momentum, energy calculations require m/s for SI coherence
Relativity: Velocities expressed as fractions of c (speed of light in m/s)

Engineering

Mechanical engineering: Shaft speeds, piston velocities, fluid flow rates in m/s
Civil engineering: Wind loads, water flow in channels, traffic flow modeling
Aerospace engineering: Aircraft speeds, rocket velocities, orbital mechanics
Automotive engineering: Crash testing, braking distances, aerodynamic analysis

Meteorology and Climate Science

Wind speed: Anemometers calibrated in m/s, weather models use m/s internally
Storm classification: Hurricane/typhoon wind speeds in m/s (Saffir-Simpson scale)
Atmospheric circulation: Jet stream velocities, air mass movements
Ocean currents: Surface and deep ocean current speeds in m/s

Sports Science and Biomechanics

Performance analysis: Sprint speeds, swimming velocities, ball speeds
Equipment testing: Golf club head speed, tennis racket velocity, baseball pitch speed
Injury prevention: Impact velocities, deceleration rates during collisions
Training optimization: Treadmill speeds, cycling power-to-velocity relationships

Robotics and Automation

Motion control: Robot arm velocities, conveyor belt speeds
Autonomous vehicles: Speed sensing, collision avoidance calculations
Drones: Flight speed control, stability algorithms
Manufacturing: CNC machine tool speeds, assembly line velocities

Additional Unit Information

About Meter per second (m/s)

Why do we use m/s instead of km/h in physics?

SI coherence: The meter per second is a coherent SI unit, meaning it combines base SI units (meter, second) without numerical conversion factors. This makes physics equations work directly:

Force: F = ma where m is kg, a is m/s² → F is Newtons (kg·m/s²)
Energy: KE = ½mv² where m is kg, v is m/s → KE is Joules (kg·m²/s²)
Momentum: p = mv where m is kg, v is m/s → p is kg·m/s

If you used km/h, you'd need conversion factors in every equation:

100 km/h = 27.78 m/s
KE = ½ × 1000 kg × (100 km/h)² requires converting km/h to m/s first
Using m/s keeps math simple and consistent across all physics

How fast is 1 m/s in everyday terms?

1 m/s ≈ slow walking pace

Imagine taking one large step (about 1 meter) every second. That's 1 m/s.

Equivalents:

1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 2.2 mph
Slower than average walking (1.4 m/s = 5 km/h)
About the pace of a leisurely stroll

Visual: If you're walking naturally and counting "one Mississippi, two Mississippi," you're covering about 1.4 meters per "Mississippi" (1.4 m/s).

What is the speed of light in m/s?

Exactly 299,792,458 m/s in vacuum (by definition)

This number is exact because the meter is actually defined based on the speed of light:

1 meter = distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second
Since 1983, the meter has been defined this way

Rounded for calculations: c ≈ 3 × 10⁸ m/s (300 million m/s)

In different materials:

Air: ~299,700,000 m/s (99.97% of vacuum speed)
Water: ~225,000,000 m/s (75% of vacuum speed)
Glass: ~200,000,000 m/s (67% of vacuum speed)

How do I convert m/s to knots?

Formula: knots = m/s × 1.94384

Step-by-step example (20 m/s to knots):

20 m/s × 1.94384 = 38.9 knots
Or rough estimate: 20 × 2 = 40 knots

Quick approximation: Multiply by ~2 (actual: 1.944)

Common conversions:

10 m/s = 19.4 knots
15 m/s = 29.2 knots
20 m/s = 38.9 knots (strong wind)
25 m/s = 48.6 knots (gale force)
30 m/s = 58.3 knots (storm force)

Why knots: One knot = one nautical mile per hour, where 1 nautical mile = 1,852 meters (approximately one minute of latitude).

m/s to knots converter →

Is m/s the same as "mps"?

Yes, informally, but m/s is the correct SI symbol.

Accepted notations:

m/s (official SI symbol, most common)
m·s⁻¹ (alternative SI notation using negative exponents)
m s⁻¹ (with space, less common)
mps (informal abbreviation, spoken English, not official)

Never use:

m/sec (mix of abbreviations)
mps with periods (m.p.s.)
MPS (capital letters change meaning)

In scientific writing: Always use m/s or m·s⁻¹

In speech: "meters per second" or informally "m-p-s" (spelling out letters)

What's the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed: Magnitude only (scalar) — how fast you're moving Velocity: Magnitude + direction (vector) — how fast + which way

Example:

Speed: "The car is traveling at 30 m/s"
Velocity: "The car is traveling at 30 m/s north" or "30 m/s at 45° from the x-axis"

In physics:

Both measured in m/s
Average speed = total distance / time
Average velocity = displacement / time (can be zero if you return to start!)

Practical:

Everyday language often uses "speed" for both concepts
Physics problems require careful distinction

How fast is the speed of sound in m/s?

343 m/s at 20°C (68°F) at sea level

Temperature dependence: Speed of sound increases with temperature

0°C (32°F): 331 m/s
15°C (59°F): 340 m/s
20°C (68°F): 343 m/s
25°C (77°F): 346 m/s
Formula: v ≈ 331 + 0.6T (where T is temperature in °C)

Altitude effects:

Sea level: ~343 m/s
10,000 m altitude (jet cruise): ~299 m/s (colder air)
Stratosphere: varies widely with temperature inversions

Other materials (much faster in solids/liquids):

Water (20°C): 1,481 m/s (4.3× faster than air)
Steel: 5,960 m/s (17× faster than air)
Diamond: 12,000 m/s (35× faster than air)

Mach number: Mach 1 = speed of sound in that medium at that temperature

How do you calculate average velocity?

Formula: v_avg = Δx / Δt (displacement / time)

Where:

Δx = change in position (meters)
Δt = change in time (seconds)
Result in m/s

Example 1 (straight line):

Start: 0 m, End: 100 m, Time: 10 s
v_avg = (100 - 0) / 10 = 10 m/s

Example 2 (round trip):

Start: 0 m, travel to 100 m and back to 0 m, Time: 20 s
v_avg = (0 - 0) / 20 = 0 m/s (displacement is zero!)
Average speed = 200 m / 20 s = 10 m/s (speed uses total distance, not displacement)

What velocity do you need to reach orbit?

Low Earth Orbit (LEO): ~7,660 m/s (27,600 km/h, 17,150 mph)

Why so fast:

At this speed, centrifugal force balances gravity
You're constantly falling toward Earth but moving sideways fast enough to keep missing it
Orbit is continuous free fall

Velocity by altitude:

ISS altitude (400 km): 7,660 m/s
Geostationary orbit (35,786 km): 3,070 m/s (slower because higher orbit)
Moon's orbit: 1,022 m/s (around Earth at 384,400 km distance)

Escape velocity (leave Earth entirely): 11,200 m/s (40,320 km/h)

Challenge: Rockets must accelerate from 0 to 7,660 m/s while fighting gravity and air resistance—requires enormous energy.

How does wind speed in m/s relate to storm categories?

Beaufort Scale (wind force scale):

Calm: 0-0.5 m/s
Light air: 0.5-1.5 m/s
Light breeze: 1.5-3.3 m/s
Gentle breeze: 3.3-5.5 m/s
Moderate breeze: 5.5-8.0 m/s
Fresh breeze: 8.0-10.8 m/s
Strong breeze: 10.8-13.9 m/s
Near gale: 13.9-17.2 m/s
Gale: 17.2-20.8 m/s
Strong gale: 20.8-24.5 m/s
Storm: 24.5-28.5 m/s
Violent storm: 28.5-32.7 m/s
Hurricane: >32.7 m/s (>118 km/h, >73 mph)

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale:

Category 1: 33-42 m/s (119-153 km/h, 74-95 mph)
Category 2: 43-49 m/s (154-177 km/h, 96-110 mph)
Category 3: 50-58 m/s (178-208 km/h, 111-129 mph)—major hurricane
Category 4: 58-70 m/s (209-251 km/h, 130-156 mph)
Category 5: >70 m/s (>252 km/h, >157 mph)—catastrophic

Can anything travel faster than light?

No physical object can reach or exceed the speed of light (c = 299,792,458 m/s) in vacuum.

Why (simplified):

As velocity approaches c, relativistic mass increases toward infinity
Would require infinite energy to accelerate to exactly c
Only massless particles (photons) travel at exactly c

Things that can "appear" to go faster:

Phase velocity (wave pattern speed): Can exceed c, but carries no information
Shadow/spot motion: If you sweep a laser across the Moon, the spot can move faster than c (but it's not a physical object moving)
Expansion of space: Distant galaxies recede faster than c due to space expansion, not their motion through space

Fastest things (relative to us):

Photons: c (exactly)
Neutrinos: ~c (very slightly slower, have tiny mass)
Fastest spacecraft (Parker Solar Probe): 163,000 m/s = 0.05% of c

Conversion Table: Mile per hour to Meter per second

Mile per hour (mph)	Meter per second (m/s)
0.5	0.224
1	0.447
1.5	0.671
2	0.894
5	2.235
10	4.47
25	11.176
50	22.352
100	44.704
250	111.76
500	223.52
1,000	447.04

How do I convert Mile per hour to Meter per second?

To convert Mile per hour to Meter per second, enter the value in Mile per hour in the calculator above. The conversion will happen automatically. Use our free online converter for instant and accurate results. You can also visit our speed converter page to convert between other units in this category.

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What is the conversion factor from Mile per hour to Meter per second?

The conversion factor depends on the specific relationship between Mile per hour and Meter per second. You can find the exact conversion formula and factor on this page. Our calculator handles all calculations automatically. See the conversion table above for common values.

Can I convert Meter per second back to Mile per hour?

Yes! You can easily convert Meter per second back to Mile per hour by using the swap button (⇌) in the calculator above, or by visiting our Meter per second to Mile per hour converter page. You can also explore other speed conversions on our category page.

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What are common uses for Mile per hour and Meter per second?

Mile per hour and Meter per second are both standard units used in speed measurements. They are commonly used in various applications including engineering, construction, cooking, and scientific research. Browse our speed converter for more conversion options.

For more speed conversion questions, visit our FAQ page or explore our conversion guides.

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