Time Duration Calculator
Time between two times or dates.
Start & end time
If the end is earlier than the start, we assume you crossed midnight.
Time after break
8 hours
8.00 decimal hours
9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, less a 30-minute break.
24-hour timeline
Shaded section shows the time span within the day.
How to Use the Time Duration Calculator
This easy time duration calculator finds the time between two times in hours and minutes. Enter a start and an end time, take off an unpaid break if there is one, and you get the net time duration as hours and minutes, hours:minutes, decimal hours, total minutes and total seconds. If the end is earlier than the start, it assumes you worked or travelled through midnight. Switch on Different dates and it handles spans of several days, including month ends, year ends and leap days.
The other tabs cover the rest of the jobs people reach for an elapsed time calculator to do: add or subtract days, hours and minutes from a date and time, add up a list of durations such as 1:45 and 2.5 hours, and see how much time has passed since (or remains until) a date and time. Totting up a week of shifts for pay? Use the hours worked calculator for weekly timesheets.
How to Calculate Time Between Two Times
Duration = end − start (add 1,440 if the end is earlier and no dates are given)
Net duration = duration − break minutes
Decimal hours = total minutes ÷ 60
Days are counted on the calendar, not by clock-time conversions, so daylight-saving changes aren't adjusted and every day counts as exactly 24 hours.
Worked Example: 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM With a 30-Minute Break
A shift runs from 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM with a 30-minute unpaid break. The span is 8 hours 30 minutes (510 minutes, or 8.50 decimal hours). Taking off the break leaves a net time duration of 8 hours — 480 minutes, shown as 8:00 and 8.00 decimal hours.
An overnight example: 10:30 PM to 6:15 AM has no dates, so the end is treated as the next morning. That is 7 hours 45 minutes (465 minutes, 7.75 decimal hours). With dates, 11:00 PM on 28 February 2028 to 1:00 AM on 1 March 2028 is 1 day 2 hours, or 26 hours, because 2028 is a leap year.
Minutes to Decimal Hours
Payroll and invoicing usually want decimal hours, found by dividing minutes by 60. These are the common ones:
| Minutes | Calculation | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 15 ÷ 60 | 0.25 |
| 30 | 30 ÷ 60 | 0.50 |
| 45 | 45 ÷ 60 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 20 ÷ 60 | 0.33 |
Results are rounded to two decimal places. Going the other way, multiply the decimal part by 60: 0.75 hours is 45 minutes.
Breaks, Multi-Day Spans and Elapsed Time
Breaks: the break comes off the total span, once. For a multi-day span the same single break is subtracted, so add up several breaks into one number of minutes first. Multi-day: enter both dates and the times; if the end comes before the start, the calculator says so instead of guessing. Elapsed time: the Time since / until tab uses your device's clock for “now” and updates every 30 seconds.
12-Hour vs 24-Hour Time
The time boxes use 24-hour values internally (09:00, 17:30) and the results repeat them in 12-hour form (9:00 AM, 5:30 PM). Midnight is 12:00 AM (00:00) and noon is 12:00 PM (12:00). If a result looks twelve hours off, check that AM and PM weren't swapped.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an elapsed time calculator and how does it work?
- An elapsed time calculator tells you how much time passes between a start and an end. It converts each time to minutes after midnight, subtracts the start from the end and shows the answer as hours and minutes, decimal hours and total minutes. Add dates and it works across several days; use the Time since / until tab to measure from a moment to right now.
- How do I use a time duration calculator with a break?
- Enter the start and end times, then type the unpaid break in minutes, or tap 0, 15, 30, 45 or 60. The calculator works out the full span first, then subtracts the break, so 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute break is 8 hours, shown beside the 8 hours 30 minutes before the break. A break as long as the whole span is rejected, because nothing would be left.
- What is the net time duration?
- Net time duration is the time left after taking out breaks or other gaps from the total span. The total span from start to end is the gross duration, and gross minus break is the net duration. This page shows the net result as the headline and keeps the gross figure alongside it.
- How do I do the calculation for duration of time between two times?
- Convert both times to minutes after midnight (hours × 60 plus minutes), subtract the start from the end, then convert back: divide by 60 for hours and take the remainder as minutes. For 08:45 to 17:15 that is 1,035 − 525 = 510 minutes, or 8 hours 30 minutes. If the end is smaller than the start, add 1,440 minutes because you crossed midnight.
- How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
- Divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.5, 45 minutes is 0.75 and 20 minutes is about 0.33. Add the whole hours on top: 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 decimal hours. Decimal hours are what payroll systems and invoices usually want, because they multiply cleanly by an hourly rate.
- How do I calculate time across midnight or over several days?
- With no dates, an end time earlier than the start is treated as the next day, so 22:30 to 06:15 is 7 hours 45 minutes. For longer spans, switch on Different dates and enter both dates; the calculator counts whole days between them and adds the time difference. 11:00 PM on 28 February 2028 to 1:00 AM on 1 March 2028 is 26 hours, because 2028 has a 29 February.
- How much time has passed since a date and time?
- Use the Time since / until tab. Enter the date and time and the calculator compares it with your device's clock, refreshing every 30 seconds, and shows the elapsed days, hours and minutes plus the same span in decimal hours. If the date is in the future it shows the time remaining instead, which makes it handy as a simple countdown.
- Can I add or subtract hours and minutes from a time?
- Yes. On the Add / subtract tab, pick a start date and time, choose add or subtract, and enter days, hours and minutes. The result carries across midnight, month ends, leap days and year ends, and shows the weekday. For example, adding 3 hours 45 minutes to 10:30 PM on Friday 2 October 2026 gives 2:15 AM on Saturday 3 October 2026.
- Is it better to use 12-hour or 24-hour time?
- The maths is identical, but 24-hour time avoids AM and PM mistakes: 17:30 is always 5:30 PM, and 00:00 is midnight. The time boxes accept the format your device uses and the results show both, so you can check that 5:30 PM really is the 17:30 you meant. In 12-hour time, 12:00 AM is midnight and 12:00 PM is noon.
- Does the calculator allow for daylight saving or time zones?
- No. It does plain clock arithmetic, so the clocks going forward or back are not applied and times are not converted between zones. A night shift on the day daylight saving starts or ends can be an hour shorter or longer in real life than the figure shown, so adjust by hand if that matters for your situation.