These are the results of the women's K-1 500 metres competition in canoeing at the 1948 Summer Olympics. The K-1 event is raced by single-person canoe sprint kayaks. Heat and semifinals took place on August 12.
Medalists
 Gold
|
 Silver
|
 Bronze
|
 Karen Hoff (DEN)
|
 Alida van der Anker-Doedens (NED)
|
 Fritzi Schwingl (AUT)
|
Heats
The ten competitors first raced in two heats. The top four finishers in both heats moved directly to the final.
| Heat 1 | |||
| 1. |  Růžena Košťálová (TCH) |
2:39.6 | QF |
| 2. |  Sylvi Saimo (FIN) |
2:41.7 | QF |
| 3. |  Anna Van Marcke (BEL) |
2:44.7 | QF |
| 4. |  Claire Vautrin (FRA) |
2:45.2 | QF |
| 5. |  Joyce Richards (GBR) |
3:00.1 | |
| Heat 2 | |||
| 1. | Karen Hoff (DEN) |
2:32.2 | QF |
| 2. | Alida van der Anker-Doedens (NED) |
2:35.4 | QF |
| 3. | Fritzi Schwingl (AUT) |
2:35.7 | QF |
| 4. |  Klára Fried-Bánfalvi (HUN) |
2:37.5 | QF |
| 5. |  Ingrid Wallgren (SWE) |
2:38.5 | |
Final
| |
Karen Hoff (DEN) |
2:31.9 |
| |
Alida van der Anker-Doedens (NED) |
2:32.8 |
| |
Fritzi Schwingl (AUT) |
2:32.9 |
| 4. | Klára Fried-Bánfalvi (HUN) |
2:33.8 |
| 5. | Růžena Košťálová (TCH) |
2:38.2 |
| 6. | Sylvi Saimo (FIN) |
2:38.4 |
| 7. | Anna Van Marcke (BEL) |
2:43.4 |
| 8. | Claire Vautrin (FRA) |
2:44.4 |