# Travel >> Transportation >> Cruises

Difference Between Nautical Miles & Statute Miles

When calculating distances, there are two commonly used measurements. Statute miles are used to measure distances over land and nautical miles are used to calculate distance over water. While these two "miles" may be close in their actual measurement, there are some key differences.

Precise Distances
- Precise measurement is important to make sure you know how far you've traveled.
  
  A statue mile is 5,280 feet in total length while a nautical mile is 6,076.115 feet in length. To convert from statue miles to nautical miles, multiply the statute miles by .87. This method is only to be used as an estimate. To convert nautical miles to statue miles, multiply the nautical miles by 1.15. Again, this method is not precise and should only be used as an estimate.
Latitude
- The Earth is divided using latitude and longitude.
  
  A nautical mile is 1/60 of a degree. This means that if a boat is traveling at 60 knots, it will travel 1 latitudinal degree in 1 hour. Since latitude and longitude are important factors when traveling over seas, the use of nautical miles makes estimating arrival times much easier.
Measuring Speed
- When traveling over water, "knots" are used as indicators of speed. Traveling 1 knot means that you will travel 1 nautical mile in one hour. Miles per hour or kilometers per hour are used when traveling over land. If you are driving your car at 60 miles per hour, you will travel 60 miles in one hour.
Traveling By Air
- Airplanes also rely of nautical miles and knots to be precise about their location.
  
  An airplane's speed is also measured in knots and distances measured in nautical miles. The nautical measurement is used because it gives pilots more precise speed and location information. Using a measurement method that is based on the latitudinal and longitudinal degrees of the Earth are much more precise than when measuring over often uneven land.