The present study focuses on the kinetics of the Knoevenagel condensation reaction between 7-methoxy-1-tetralone (1) and glyoxylic acid (2), catalyzed by potassium tert-butoxide in tert-butanol as a solvent, using a batch-type system under nitrogen atmosphere. The objective of this study was to synthesize the product (E)-2-(7-methoxy-1-oxo-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2(1H)-ylidene) acetic acid (3). The reaction was conducted under controlled temperature conditions (65 °C, 75 °C and 85 °C), considering five specified time intervals to monitor its progress by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The kinetic data obtained was analyzed through three different mathematical methods: integral, differential, and nonlinear regression method, in order to determine the most suitable kinetic model. Applying the power law, the findings indicated that the pseudo-second order model, which was estimated via nonlinear regression, showed the best fit with the experimental data, characterized by minimal discrepancy between the calculated and observed values. The kinetic constants (k) obtained at temperatures of 65 °C, 75 °C and 85 °C were 0.89, 1.77 and 3.42 mL mmol−1 min−1, respectively. The pre-exponential factor (A) was calculated to be 2.194 × 1010 mL mmol−1 min−1, and the activation energy (Ea) was determined to be 67.22 kJ mol−1. The product yield at these temperatures was 17.01%, 81.40% and 72.59%, respectively. The final product was characterized by GC-MS, FTIR, and UV-Vis. In conclusion, the kinetic study of the reaction was able to determine the optimal Knoevenagel condensation reaction conditions between (3) and (2) catalyzed by potassium tert-butoxide, and to facilitate understanding of the mechanism involved.