sign in

Time Duration Calculator

Use the calculator below to find the exact number of hours, minutes, and seconds between two times within the same day (or across a midnight boundary).

Result💾 save
HourMinuteSecond
Start Time:
End Time:
Now ↓↑ Now

Time Between Two Dates

Use this time and date duration calculator to find out the number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds elapsed between the specific times on two different dates.

Result💾 save
Start Date & Time:
📅
: : Set to Now
End Date & Time:
📅
: : Set to Now

Calculate the Duration Between Two Times

Calculating the duration between two times can be a little tricky depending on the numbers of minutes and seconds in the two times being compared, and whether the time frame crosses over the midnight boundary.

Manual Calculation Steps (Within the Same Day)

If you need to calculate the elapsed time manually, follow these steps to determine the number of hours and minutes between two chosen times:

  1. Identify the starting time and the ending time. The goal is to subtract the starting time from the ending time under the correct conditions.
  2. Convert to 24-Hour Time: If the times are not already in 24-hour time (military time), convert them. AM hours are the same in both systems. For PM hours, add 12 to the number. For example, 1:00 PM becomes 13:00.
  3. Compare the Minutes: Determine whether the number of minutes is larger in the starting time or the ending time.

Scenario A: The ending time has MORE minutes

Subtract the starting time from the ending time exactly as you would normally, keeping the hours and minutes separated by the colon ":".

Example:
  13:57 (Ending Time)
- 09:22 (Starting Time)
---------
  04:35 (4 Hours and 35 Minutes)

Scenario B: The starting time has MORE minutes

Treat the hour and minute portions separately. Because you cannot subtract a larger number of minutes from a smaller one, you must "borrow" an hour. Add 60 to the number of minutes in the ending time, and subtract 1 hour from the hour portion of the ending time. Then, subtract normally.

Example:
  13:11 (Ending Time)
- 09:58 (Starting Time)
---------
Borrow 1 hour (60 mins) from the 13:
  12:71 (Adjusted Ending Time)
- 09:58 (Starting Time)
---------
  03:13 (3 Hours and 13 Minutes)

Understanding the 12-Hour vs. 24-Hour Clock

The 12-hour clock divides the 24-hour day into two periods: AM (ante meridiem, meaning "before midday") and PM (post meridiem, meaning "after midday"). This system is widely used in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The 24-hour clock (often called "military time" in the US) counts hours continuously from 00:00 to 23:59, eliminating the need for AM/PM designations and drastically reducing confusion in scheduling, aviation, medicine, and programming. Using 24-hour time makes manual time duration calculations much easier.