Clock times are the primary inputs here. Enter a start time and an end time to find how much time passed between them. The date and time mode is secondary, for spans that cross midnight or run over more than one day. For date-only differences, with no clock times involved, use Days Between Dates. This tool is free, and every calculation runs in your browser, with no sign-up.
Time Duration Calculator
Breaks to deduct (optional)
00:00:00
- Hours and minutes:
- Total minutes:
- Total seconds:
- Decimal hours:
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How to Use
- Choose the mode you need. Keep the primary time mode for a shift, a meeting, or any span inside one day or overnight.
- Enter the start time and the end time as text, for example 09:00, then choose AM or PM. In 24-hour mode, enter the time as it appears on a 24-hour clock, for example 17:00.
- For a span over more than one day, switch to the date and time mode and add both dates.
- Add any breaks in minutes. Each break is subtracted from the total.
- To combine separate periods, click Add another interval and enter each period on its own row.
- Click Calculate to see the total in hours, minutes, seconds, and decimal hours.
How the Count Works
The basic formula is simple: duration equals end minus start. If the end time is earlier than the start time in time mode, the calculator adds 24 hours and treats the end time as the next day, so an overnight shift is counted correctly. Breaks are then subtracted from that total. Decimal hours equal total minutes divided by 60, so 7 hours and 30 minutes becomes 7.50 decimal hours.
Decimal hours at a glance
Decimal hours show part of an hour as a fraction of one hour. To change minutes to decimal hours, divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the whole hours. For example, 30 minutes is half an hour, so it becomes 0.50.
| Time | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 0.25 |
| 30 minutes | 0.50 |
| 45 minutes | 0.75 |
| 1 hour | 1.00 |
| 1 hour 30 minutes | 1.50 |
| 2 hours | 2.00 |
| 8 hours | 8.00 |
Lunch break example
From 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM is 8 hours before any break. Subtract a 60-minute lunch break to leave 7 hours, which is 7.00 in decimal hours.
Worked examples
- Standard day: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours.
- Overnight shift: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 8 hours, because the end time falls on the next day.
- Meeting: 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM is 1 hour 15 minutes.
Related Date Tools
- Days Between Dates for date-only differences.
- Weeks Between Dates
- Days From Today
- Weeks From Today
- Business Days
- Days Until Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
The formula is end minus start. Take the end time, subtract the start time, and the result is the duration. If the end time is earlier than the start time on the same day, add 24 hours first, because the span runs overnight into the next day.
Write both times on the same clock scale, subtract the start from the end, and convert the remainder into hours and minutes. For example, 5:00 PM minus 9:00 AM is 8 hours. If a break falls inside the span, subtract the break minutes at the end.
Enter the two times and subtract the earlier one from the later one. If the second time is earlier in the day, it is treated as the next day, so 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 8 hours apart, not a negative span.
Count forward in whole hours first, then add the leftover minutes. From 9:00 AM, four whole hours reach 1:00 PM, and 45 more minutes reach 1:45 PM, so the span is 4 hours and 45 minutes. The calculator above does the same counting for you.
Find the full span first, then subtract every break in minutes. A 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM day is 8 hours, and a 30 minute break leaves 7 hours and 30 minutes of counted time.
Convert each time to minutes since midnight, subtract the start from the end, and add 1,440 minutes if the span runs overnight. A result of 495 minutes is the same as 8 hours and 15 minutes.
A week has 168 hours, which is 7 days times 24 hours. A month varies with its length, so a 30 day month has 720 hours and a 31 day month has 744 hours. A common year of 365 days has 8,760 hours, and a leap year of 366 days has 8,784 hours.
Subtract the start time from the end time and read the result in hours and minutes. Then divide the total minutes by 60 if you need decimal hours, so 450 minutes becomes 7.50 hours.
Take your finish time, subtract your start time, and subtract any unpaid breaks. Repeat that for each working day and add the daily totals together for the week.
Add the counted hours for every shift in the period, after breaks have been removed from each shift. If you worked five 7 hour and 30 minute shifts, your total is 37 hours and 30 minutes, or 37.50 decimal hours.