VARYVIA GUIDE
How to calculate hours between two times
Calculate elapsed hours and minutes, including intervals that cross midnight, with clear step-by-step examples.
Convert each time to minutes
Multiply the hour by 60 and add the minutes. For example, 09:20 is 9 × 60 + 20 = 560 minutes.
Worked example on the same day
From 09:20 to 12:05, subtract 560 from 725 to get 165 minutes, or 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Crossing midnight
From 22:30 to 01:15 the next day, count 90 minutes to midnight plus 75 minutes after midnight: 165 minutes, or 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Elapsed time is not a decimal hour
Two hours and 30 minutes is 2.5 hours, not 2.30 hours. Divide the minutes by 60 when you need a decimal-hour value.
Check your assumptions
For shifts lasting more than 24 hours, dates, breaks, and daylight-saving changes can matter. A simple clock-time calculator may not model all of them.