mph to ft/s Converter
Convert miles per hour speeds into feet per second
mph to ft/s FAQ
How do you convert mph to ft/s exactly?
The exact relationship comes from how far you travel in one hour. One mile is 5 280 feet and one hour is 3 600 seconds. That means a speed of 1 mph is 5 280 ÷ 3 600 = 22 ÷ 15 ≈ 1.46667 ft/s. To convert mph to ft/s, you simply multiply by 22 ÷ 15. For example, 60 mph × 22/15 = 88 ft/s.
Why do some references say 1 mph ≈ 1.47 ft/s?
The exact value of 1 mph is about 1.46667 ft/s. For quick mental arithmetic many people round that to 1.47 ft/s. That shortcut is fine for rough checks, but it introduces a tiny rounding error. This converter uses the precise fraction 22 ÷ 15 so your ft/s results match detailed calculations, simulations and ballistics tables.
Where is mph used vs ft/s?
Miles per hour (mph) is a familiar unit for driving, vehicle performance, weather reports and everyday speed discussions. Feet per second (ft/s) appears more often in physics homework, ballistics, sports timing and engineering work when other measurements are already taken in feet. Converting mph to ft/s lets you plug everyday speeds into formulas or compare them directly with ft/s results from experiments and simulations.
Is this converter accurate enough for ballistics and engineering?
Yes. It uses the exact relationship 1 mile = 5 280 feet and 1 hour = 3 600 seconds. As long as your starting mph value is correct, the feet-per-second result will be accurate enough for most ballistics work, engineering estimates, simulation output checks and physics problem sets. You can then round the ft/s value to match your preferred number of decimal places.
How many decimal places of ft/s should I keep?
For sports and everyday speeds, whole ft/s values or one decimal place are usually enough. For example, 60 mph is exactly 88 ft/s, while 45 mph is 66 ft/s. For ballistics, aerospace and detailed simulations, two or three decimal places can help highlight small differences. This converter keeps full precision internally and prints a clean ft/s value for you to round as needed.
Can I use this for sports timing and motion analysis?
Definitely. Many timing systems, video analyses and physics lab setups produce speeds in mph, especially when tracking vehicles or larger objects. If your formulas or comparison tables use ft/s, this mph to ft/s converter lets you translate those readings into the format your calculations expect, without re-deriving the conversion factor each time.
What if my speed is in ft/s, m/s or km/h instead?
If you already have feet per second and want mph, use the dedicated ft/s to mph page via the “Swap Units” button. For other units such as metres per second or kilometres per hour, the speed conversion calculator lets you move between multiple speed units on one page without doing several intermediate conversions yourself.
From driver-friendly mph to calculation-ready ft/s
This mph to ft/s converter is designed for moments when your speeds are recorded or reported in miles per hour but your formulas, models or tables expect feet per second. That is common in physics problems, ballistics, ride and roller-coaster design, simulation outputs and sports timing. Instead of multiplying by 1.46667 in your head again and again, you type the mph value once and get a clear line such as “60 mph = 88 ft/s”.
1. One mph input, one ft/s result
The layout stays deliberately minimal: a single input for miles per hour and a result card underneath. You can enter familiar road speeds like 25, 35 or 70 mph, or higher values for projectiles, test vehicles or amusement rides. Behind the scenes, the converter multiplies by 22/15 exactly and formats the ft/s result so it is easy to scan on phones, tablets and desktop screens.
When you later need to reverse the conversion, from feet per second back to miles per hour, the “Swap Units” button takes you straight to the ft/s to mph page. The tools are built as a pair so you can move between intuitive mph speeds and ft/s values that drop directly into your equations.
2. Simple linear relationship between mph and ft/s
The link between mph and ft/s is linear: if you double the mph, the ft/s doubles too. The scale factor follows directly from the definitions:
- 1 mile = 5 280 feet
- 1 hour = 3 600 seconds
That gives 1 mph = 5 280 ÷ 3 600 = 22 ÷ 15 ft/s. The converter uses this fraction precisely so your results match textbooks, lab handouts and engineering references. If you ever need to connect mph and ft/s to other speed units like m/s or km/h, the speed conversion calculator acts as a hub that keeps several units in sync on one page.
3. Common mph to ft/s values at a glance
These example conversions match what the calculator outputs and help you build a feel for how everyday mph speeds translate into ft/s:
| Miles per hour (mph) | Feet per second (ft/s) |
|---|---|
| 10 mph | ≈ 14.67 ft/s |
| 20 mph | ≈ 29.33 ft/s |
| 30 mph | 44 ft/s |
| 40 mph | ≈ 58.67 ft/s |
| 50 mph | ≈ 73.33 ft/s |
| 60 mph | 88 ft/s |
| 70 mph | ≈ 102.67 ft/s |
| 80 mph | ≈ 117.33 ft/s |
A quick mental rule is to multiply mph by about 1.47. For example, 70 mph × 1.47 ≈ 103 ft/s. That is usually close enough when you just want a feel for the speeds in a physics question or design meeting. When you need the exact value for lab reports, engineering documents or safety calculations, this converter uses the precise 22/15 factor so the numbers remain consistent and reproducible.
4. Where the mph to ft/s converter shines
You will most often reach for this tool in situations like:
- Physics homework and exams — converting mph speeds from word problems into ft/s for use in equations.
- Ballistics and launch-speed work — translating muzzle velocities and impact speeds into feet per second.
- Sports timing and performance analysis — expressing race or sprint speeds in ft/s when models are built around feet and seconds.
- Ride and attraction design — converting mph marketing numbers into ft/s limits used in design constraints and simulations.
- Simulation and modelling — feeding mph-based scenarios into code, spreadsheets or physics engines that operate in ft/s.
Because it follows the official relationship between miles per hour and feet per second, you can rely on this mph to ft/s converter whenever you need clear, repeatable results that bridge everyday intuition and technical calculations.
References and further reading on speed units
These references explain how miles per hour and feet per second are defined and used:
- Miles per hour — details the mph unit, where it is used and how it converts to other speed units such as ft/s, km/h and m/s.
- Foot per second — describes ft/s as a unit of speed and its applications in physics, engineering and ballistics.
- NIST: SI Units — Length and derived units — provides official background on length units and derived quantities like speed within the International System of Units.
For critical engineering, safety or regulatory work, always follow your organisation’s official conversion and rounding procedures when moving between mph, ft/s and other speed units.