Kilometre | |
---|---|
Unit system | metric |
Unit of | length |
Symbol | km |
1 km in ... | ... is equal to ... |
SI units | m 1000 |
imperial/US units |
37 mi 0.621 280.8 ft 3 |
nautical units | 0.53996 nmi |
The kilometre (International spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: km; /ˈkɪləmiːtər/ or /kɪˈlɒmɪtər/) or kilometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is now the measurement unit used officially for expressing distances between geographical places on land in most of the world; notable exceptions are the United States and the road network of the United Kingdom where the 1000statute mile is the official unit used.
k (pronounced /keɪ/) is occasionally used in some English-speaking countries as an alternative for the word kilometre in colloquial writing and speech. A slang term for the kilometre in the US military is .