Hours Between Times Calculator
Work out the hours and minutes between two clock times, including spans that cross midnight.
Hours Between Times Calculator calculates in your browser.
Hours between two clock times
Logging a shift, checking a timesheet, or planning a drive: enter a start time and an end time to see the hours and minutes between them, the same span in decimal hours, and the total minutes. Spans that cross midnight work automatically. To add or subtract lengths of time instead — such as taking off a break — use the Time Duration Calculator.
How to use the Hours Between Times Calculator
- Choose the start time.
- Choose the end time. If it is earlier than the start time, it is treated as the next day.
- Read the time between, the decimal hours, and the total minutes. Copy Result copies a one-line summary.
The method
time between = end time − start time
if the end time is earlier: time between = end time + 24 hours − start time
decimal hours = total minutes ÷ 60
Clock times repeat every day, so an end time earlier than the start time only makes sense on the next day: 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM is 4 hours, not −20. Decimal hours turn minutes into a fraction of an hour — 30 minutes is 0.5 and 15 minutes is 0.25 — which is how many timesheets record time worked.
| From | To | Time between | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | 5:30 PM | 8 hours 30 minutes | 8.5 hours |
| 8:47 AM | 4:07 PM | 7 hours 20 minutes | ≈ 7.33 hours |
| 12:00 PM | 12:45 PM | 45 minutes | 0.75 hours |
| 10:00 PM | 2:00 AM | 4 hours | 4 hours |
| 11:30 PM | 7:15 AM | 7 hours 45 minutes | 7.75 hours |
Calculated on your device
- The calculation runs in your browser as you type; nothing is sent to a server.
- The times you enter and the results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored.
- The calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics, so what you enter isn’t captured in recordings.
Limitations
- Up to 24 hours: an earlier end time is always read as the next day, and equal times give 0.
- Minute precision; seconds aren’t used.
- No time zones or daylight saving: on the night the clocks change, the real elapsed time differs by an hour.
- Breaks aren’t subtracted automatically.
Related calculators
Guides
- Hours Between TimesSubtract clock times in hours and minutes, borrow 60 minutes when needed, convert 12-hour times to 24-hour, and check a timesheet.
- Overnight Time SpansMeasure a span that crosses midnight, such as a night shift, why adding 24 hours works, and what changes on the nights the clocks move.
- Decimal HoursConvert between hours and minutes and decimal hours for timesheets, with a quick conversion table and the mistakes that change a total.
Hours Between Times Calculator FAQ
- How do I calculate the hours between two times?
- Subtract the start time from the end time. From 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes. If the span crosses midnight, add 24 hours to the end time first.
- What happens if the end time is earlier than the start time?
- The calculator treats the end time as the next day and says so: 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM is 4 hours.
- What are decimal hours?
- Hours written as a decimal number, which many timesheets and payroll systems use: 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours. Values that don’t divide evenly are rounded to 2 decimal places and marked with ≈ — 7 hours 20 minutes is about 7.33 hours.
- Can it measure more than 24 hours?
- No. Two clock times can only describe up to a day. For longer spans, add lengths of time with the Time Duration Calculator.
- Does it subtract breaks?
- No. It measures from start to end. To take off a break, subtract it from the result with the Time Duration Calculator.
- Does daylight saving time affect the result?
- The calculator compares clock times on an ordinary day and doesn’t use time zones. On the night the clocks change, the real elapsed time differs from the clock difference by an hour.
- Are the dates and times I enter sent anywhere?
- No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type. The dates and times you enter and the results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored, and the calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics. Refreshing the page clears it.
