Mile per hour (mph) - Unit Information & Conversion
What is a Mile per hour?
Definition
Miles per hour (mph, MPH, or mi/h) is an imperial and US customary unit of speed expressing the number of statute miles traveled in one hour.
History
Miles per hour became prominent with the rise of automotive transportation in countries using the imperial system, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States. It provided a practical measure for road travel speeds and regulations.
Common Uses
- Road Traffic (US/UK): The standard unit for speed limits and vehicle speeds (speedometers) in the United States, United Kingdom, and a few other countries.
- Rail Transport (US/UK): Often used for train speeds in these same countries.
- Meteorology (Informal): Sometimes used informally in the US/UK for wind speed in public weather reports, though knots or m/s are preferred in official meteorological contexts.
- Sports: Used in some sports like baseball (pitch speed) and sometimes informally in running or cycling in relevant countries.
Unit FAQs
Which countries use mph for speed limits?
Miles per hour is primarily used for road speed limits in the United States, the United Kingdom, and some Caribbean nations.
Is mph an SI unit?
No, mph is part of the imperial and US customary systems. The SI unit for speed is meters per second (m/s).
How do you convert mph to km/h?
Multiply the speed in mph by 1.60934. So, 60 mph is approximately 96.6 km/h.
How do you convert mph to ft/s?
Multiply the speed in mph by 1.46667. So, 60 mph is approximately 88 ft/s.
Mile per hour Conversion Formulas
To Meter per second:
To Kilometer per hour:
To Foot per second:
To Knot:
To Mach number:
To Speed of light:
Convert Mile per hour
Need to convert Mile per hour to other speed units? Use our conversion tool.