text: what is the differnce between nautical and statute miles?   one nautical mile is 1,852 meters, or about 6,076 feet.  one statute mile is 5,280 feet, or about 1,609 meters.  nautical miles are typically used for air or sea travel (the term "knot" when used for speed is a nautical mile per hour), whereas statute miles are often used for ground travel (in the u.s.).  an interesting fact - nautical miles are closely aligned with the measurement of latitude (one degree of latitude is about 60 nautical miles).