MPH to FPS Converter — Convert miles per hour to feet per second (Exact: × 22/15)

About MPH to FPS Conversion

Miles per hour (mph) dominates U.S. road contexts, media, and many consumer dashboards. Feet per second (ft/s, fps) is favored in test labs, safety standards, range cards, and ballistics solvers where timing and distance equations are expressed in feet and seconds. Converting mph → ft/s aligns public-facing measurements with engineering math—so braking distances, projectile drift, and controller response times can be modeled with fewer unit jumps.

This is especially useful when reports circulate across operations, QA, and leadership: you can present mph for readability and compute in ft/s for kinematics. You’ll find more specialized calculators in our free speed conversion tools section.

MPH to FPS Formula

Exact relationship

Use the factor method:

ft/s = mph × (5280 ft / 3600 s) = mph × 22/15 ≈ mph × 1.466666…

Example:

75 mph × 22/15 = 110.00000 ft/s

Reverse calculation (fps → mph)

Multiply by 15/22 (≈ 0.681818…): mph = ft/s × 15/22.

What is mph?

Miles per hour measures statute miles traveled per hour. It’s standard for U.S. highways and widely used in automotive journals and consumer apps. When your models need feet and seconds, convert to fps for dimensional consistency.

What is feet per second (ft/s)?

Feet per second measures linear speed in a purely imperial time–distance frame. It pairs naturally with U.S. safety standards, range estimation, lead calculations, and field instrumentation that report in feet and seconds.

Step-by-Step: Converting mph to ft/s

Record the speed in mph (cluster, GPS, data logger).
Multiply by 22/15 (≈ 1.466666…).
Label the result in ft/s; round per your reporting policy.

Example walkthroughs (practical):

Automotive: 60 mph × 22/15 = 88.00000 ft/s   (classic braking-distance baseline)
Athletics:  22 mph × 22/15 = 32.26667 ft/s  (sprint phase analysis)
Robotics:   12 mph × 22/15 = 17.60000 ft/s  (trajectory cap in imperial rigs)

Deep-Dive Use Cases

Automotive testing, safety, and telematics

Many U.S. procedures (instrumented stopping distance, reaction-time envelopes, and track-side telemetry) are derived in feet and seconds. Converting mph to ft/s simplifies: (a) brake distance checks (v²/(2μg) style models, with v in ft/s), (b) coast-down experiments (rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag calculations), (c) ADAS validation for headway and time-to-collision (converting cluster mph to fps makes TTC = distance / speed trivial when distance is in feet), and (d) event data recorder post-processing where track markers and cones are laid out in feet. Using a single unit system reduces rounding hops and audit friction.

Ballistics telemetry and wind/target inputs

Range cards and solvers often operate in fps for muzzle velocity, remaining velocity, and drag model lookups. Even when local wind is reported in mph, drift and lead equations expect ft/s. Converting wind mph → ft/s avoids a hidden unit mismatch, and converting target traverse speed into ft/s makes lead calculations or moving-target drills consistent with reticle subtensions and range magnification. The result: fewer silent unit errors and tighter agreement between chrono traces, solver outputs, and DOPE logs.

Common Conversions

Everyday checks for labs, tracks & ranges

mph	ft/s
10	14.66667
20	29.33333
30	44.00000
40	58.66667
50	73.33333
60	88.00000
70	102.66667
80	117.33333
100	146.66667

Quick Reference Table

ft/s	mph
10	6.81818
44	30.00000
88	60.00000
100	68.18182
200	136.36364
300	204.54545
500	340.90909
1000	681.81818

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact formula to convert mph to fps?

Multiply by 22/15. Since 1 mile = 5280 feet and 1 hour = 3600 seconds, 1 mph = 5280/3600 ft/s = 22/15 ft/s ≈ 1.466666….

Why do automotive engineers convert mph to feet per second?

Distance/kinematics equations and brake dynamometer models are frequently cast in feet and seconds in U.S. test standards. Converting mph → ft/s yields consistent units for stopping distance, reaction-time envelopes, track telemetry, and coast-down (CdA/RR) analyses.

How is mph → fps used in ballistics?

Ballistic solvers and range cards often model velocities, winds, and drifts in ft/s. Converting wind or target speed from mph to ft/s keeps projectile equations, muzzle velocity, and drag functions consistent (especially when BC tables and chrono data are in fps).

Does wind, slope, or surface condition change the conversion?

No. Conditions affect the measured speed—not the unit relationship. The mph→fps factor (22/15) is exact and constant.

What precision should I use?

Keep full precision internally; round for presentation. Two decimals usually read well on dashboards (e.g., 26.82 ft/s). Document the exact factor (22/15).

How do I convert back from fps to mph?

Multiply by 15/22 (≈ 0.681818…): mph = fps × 15/22. See the reverse tool linked below.

Is fps the same as ft/s?

Yes. fps and ft/s are both shorthand for feet per second—the same unit.

Can I chain mph → m/s → fps instead of converting directly?

You can (mph × 0.44704 = m/s, then × 3.28084 = ft/s), but direct mph × 22/15 is simpler and avoids extra rounding.

Why do different apps show slightly different results?

Differences are usually from sampling cadence, smoothing, and rounding choices. The conversion factor is identical; pipelines handle numbers differently.

Tips for Working with mph & ft/s

Convert once at ingestion; keep raw telemetry precise and immutable. Round only at presentation.
Use a single unit system (ft, s) in equations to prevent silent conversion errors.
Document the exact factor (mph × 22/15) in methods for full reproducibility.