What military time is
Military time is the 24-hour clock. Instead of running from 1 to 12 twice a day and adding AM or PM, the hours count straight through from 00 at midnight to 23 in the last hour before the next midnight. The time is written with four digits: the first two are the hour and the last two are the minutes. So 0700 is seven in the morning, 1200 is noon, 1900 is seven in the evening and 2359 is the last minute of the day. Because every time of day has its own number, there is no need for AM or PM, and no way to mix up 7 in the morning with 7 at night.
This converter reads both directions. Type a military time like 1430 and it shows 2:30 PM, or type a 12-hour time like 2:30 pm and it shows 1430. It also understands 24-hour times with a colon (14:30), times with seconds (14:30:15), the words noon and midnight, short forms like 7am, and a three-digit time like 930, which it reads as 0930. The chart under the result lists all 24 hours and highlights the hour of the time you entered.
How to convert military time to 12-hour time
The minutes never change, only the hour does. Look at the first two digits and follow these rules:
| Military hour | 12-hour time | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | 12 AM (the midnight hour) | 0015 = 12:15 AM |
| 01 to 11 | Same hour, AM | 0830 = 8:30 AM |
| 12 | 12 PM (the noon hour) | 1245 = 12:45 PM |
| 13 to 23 | Subtract 12, PM | 2010 = 8:10 PM |
Going the other way, from 12-hour to military time, you do the reverse. Morning times keep their hour and get a leading zero if they need one: 6:40 AM becomes 0640. Afternoon and evening times get 12 added to the hour: 6:40 PM becomes 1840. The only times that break the pattern are in the two 12 o'clock hours. 12:40 AM is 40 minutes after midnight, so it becomes 0040, and 12:40 PM is 40 minutes after noon, so it stays 1240.
A quick way to check a result is to count from midnight. The military time is simply the hours and minutes that have passed since the day began, which is why the converter also shows the time since midnight. 1430 means 14 hours and 30 minutes have gone by.
Midnight: 0000 or 2400?
Midnight is the one moment with two names on a 24-hour clock. NIST, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, suggests 0000 for midnight at the beginning of a day and 2400 for midnight at the end of a day. Both describe the same instant: Friday at 2400 is Saturday at 0000. The difference matters when a date is attached, for example a deadline or a shift that ends at midnight. "Friday 2400" makes clear that all of Friday is included, while "Friday 0000" would mean the moment Friday starts.
In practice, conventions vary between organizations, style guides and software, and not every clock or program shows 2400. If you write schedules or deadlines for a workplace, follow the form its own rules use. The converter accepts both: 0000 and midnight give the start of the day, and 2400 or 24:00 give the end. Times after 2400, such as 2401, do not exist; one minute after midnight is 0001.
Why 12 AM and 12 PM confuse people
AM marks the hours before noon and PM the hours after it. That works for every hour except the two 12 o'clocks. NIST notes that 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. are ambiguous, since noon is neither before nor after noon, and midnight is twelve hours from noon in both directions. Everyday use, and this converter, treat 12 PM as noon and 12 AM as midnight, and the result says "noon" or "midnight" next to the time so there is no doubt. On a 24-hour clock the question does not come up: noon is 1200, and midnight is 0000 or 2400.
Writing and reading 24-hour times
Here, military time is shown as four digits without a colon (1430) and 24-hour time with a colon (14:30). Both describe the same time; use the form that fits where you write it. A leading zero is part of the four digits, so morning times are written 0600 rather than 600. Seconds, when you need them, are added at the end: 143015 or 14:30:15.
A military time does not say which time zone it is in. To change a time from one zone to another, use the time zone converter. To work out how long it is between two times, for example the length of a shift from 0700 to 1530, the hours calculator adds up start and end times, breaks included, and the time duration calculator gives the hours and minutes between two times.
How to use the military time converter
- 1Type a time in the box, in any format: 1430, 14:30, 2:30 PM, 7am, noon or midnight. Tap Now to fill in the current time on your device.
- 2Read the converted time in large type, with all formats side by side below it. The chart highlights the hour of your time.
- 3Copy the result, or copy a link that opens the converter with the same time.
Sources
- Times of Day FAQs, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Time and Frequency Division. Midnight as 0000 and 2400, and the ambiguity of 12 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert military time to standard time?
Look at the first two digits. From 0100 to 1159, they are already the hour in the morning: 0945 is 9:45 AM. From 1300 to 2359, subtract 12 from the hour and add PM: 1730 is 5:30 PM. 1200 to 1259 is in the noon hour, so 1215 is 12:15 PM, and 0000 to 0059 is in the midnight hour, so 0030 is 12:30 AM.
How do I convert standard time to military time?
For a morning time, write the hour with two digits and add the minutes: 7:05 AM is 0705. For an afternoon or evening time, add 12 to the hour: 7:05 PM is 1905. The two exceptions are the 12 o'clock hours: 12:20 AM is 0020 and 12:20 PM is 1220.
Is midnight 0000 or 2400?
Both are used, for different moments. NIST, the US national measurement institute, suggests 0000 for midnight at the beginning of a day and 2400 for the end of a day. So the night from Monday to Tuesday ends Monday at 2400 and starts Tuesday at 0000, the same instant under two names. Organizations write deadlines and schedules by their own rules, so check which form yours uses.
Is 12 PM noon or midnight?
In everyday use, 12 PM means noon and 12 AM means midnight, and this converter follows that. NIST points out that both labels are ambiguous, because noon is neither before nor after noon. The 24-hour clock avoids the problem: noon is 1200 and midnight is 0000 or 2400.
What is 1500 in military time?
1500 is 3:00 PM. Every hour from 1300 on works the same way: subtract 12, so 1300 is 1 PM, 1800 is 6 PM and 2100 is 9 PM. The chart in the converter lists all 24 hours.
What is the difference between military time and 24-hour time?
They are the same clock, counting the hours of the day from 0 to 23. This converter shows military time as four digits without a colon, like 1430, and 24-hour time with a colon, like 14:30. You can type either form, and seconds as well, like 14:30:15.