Star Trek Warp Speed Comparison
Official TNG multiples of light, from warp 1 at 1c to warp 9.9 at 3,053c. Pick any two.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warp 1 1c. The baseline everything divides into. | 1 speed of light | Light speed itself | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 1 = 1c |
| Warp 2 10c. | 10 speed of light | TNG scale cruiser speed | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 2 = 10c |
| Warp 3 39c. | 39 speed of light | TNG scale transit speed | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 3 = 39c |
| Warp 4 102c. Warp 9 outruns it almost fifteen to one. | 102 speed of light | TNG scale fast cruise | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 4 = 102c |
| Warp 5 214c. The legal limit inside Federation space. | 214 speed of light | Federation speed limit 2370 | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 5 = 214c |
| Warp 6 392c. | 392 speed of light | TNG scale high cruise | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 6 = 392c |
| Warp 7 656c. | 656 speed of light | TNG scale flank speed | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 7 = 656c |
| Warp 8 1,024c. First factor past a thousand. | 1,024 speed of light | TNG scale emergency speed | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 8 = 1024c |
| Warp 9 1,516c. About seven Warp 5s. | 1,516 speed of light | Defiant maximum, Enterprise cruise | TNG Technical Manual warp chart via Encyclopedia: Warp 9 = 1516c |
| Warp 9.6 1,909c. Enterprise-D sustained maximum. | 1,909 speed of light | Galaxy class 12 hour rating | Star Trek Encyclopedia warp chart: Warp 9.6 = 1909c |
| Warp 9.9 3,053c. Fastest row here. Doubles warp 9. | 3,053 speed of light | Enterprise-D sprint maximum | Star Trek Encyclopedia warp chart: Warp 9.9 = 3053c |
About this converter
The Next Generation Technical Manual fixes warp speed as multiples of light, and the curve climbs brutally. Warp 1 is light speed itself, warp 2 is 10 times, warp 3 is 39 and warp 4 is 102. Warp 5 at 214 was the Federation speed limit of 2370, with warp 6 at 392, warp 7 at 656 and warp 8 at 1,024 above it. Warp 9 hits 1,516, warp 9.6 reaches 1,909 and warp 9.9 touches 3,053. Every figure here comes from the TNG Technical Manual chart via the Encyclopedia and the rec.arts.startrek.tech FAQ.
How to use it
Pick two warp factors and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try warp 9 against warp 5. The unit box converts the speed to multiples of light or thousands of lightspeed.
The Original Series used a simpler cube scale where warp 8 is 512c, so TOS figures stay out of this TNG table with the formula noted. Warp 10 is infinite speed on the TNG scale and takes infinite power, so it stays out as unrowable. Speeds past 9 follow an asymptotic curve, not the base formula, with 9.6 and 9.9 from the Encyclopedia.
FAQ
How fast is warp 5?
214 times light speed. Above it sit warp 6 at 392c through warp 9 at 1,516c.
How fast is warp 9?
1,516 times light speed. Warp 9.9 at 3,053c doubles it.
Why do old episodes disagree?
TOS used warp factor cubed, so warp 8 is 512c there against 1,024c here. Only TNG scale rows appear.
Warp 10 is infinite speed needing infinite power on the TNG scale, so no finite row fits. Past 9 the curve goes asymptotic.
Sources
- Okuda, M. and Sternbach, R. Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (1991), warp chart
- Star Trek Encyclopedia warp speed chart (factors 1 through 9.9)
- rec.arts.startrek.tech FAQ warp velocities chart (TM and Encyclopedia compilation)
Last verified: 2026-09-29 · 11 entries
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