Hours Calculator
Calculate the duration between two times in hours, minutes, and decimal hours.
The Hours Calculator computes the time duration between a start time and end time. It shows the result in multiple formats: decimal hours, total minutes, and hours-and-minutes.
How It Works
Enter the start and end times using 24-hour format (0-23 for hours, 0-59 for minutes). The calculator computes the elapsed time. If the end time is earlier than the start time, it assumes the period crosses midnight.
Output Formats
- Decimal hours: 8.5 hours (useful for timesheets and billing)
- Total minutes: 510 minutes (useful for detailed tracking)
- Hours and minutes: 8 hours 30 minutes (human-readable format)
This calculator is ideal for tracking work hours, calculating shift durations, billing clients for time spent, and any scenario where you need to know the exact duration between two clock times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time format should I use?
Use 24-hour format. For example, 9 AM = 9:00 (hours=9, minutes=0), 5:30 PM = 17:30 (hours=17, minutes=30), midnight = 0:00.
What if the end time is before the start time?
The calculator assumes the period crosses midnight. For example, start 22:00, end 6:00 gives 8 hours (overnight shift).
How is decimal time calculated?
Decimal hours = hours + (minutes / 60). So 8 hours 30 minutes = 8.5 decimal hours, and 2 hours 15 minutes = 2.25 decimal hours.