How the duration is calculated
Both moments are converted to a timestamp in your device's time zone and subtracted. The difference is then broken down into days, hours and minutes, and also expressed as totals. Because real timestamps are used, the result correctly handles month lengths, leap years and daylight-saving changes in your local time zone.
Example: from March 1 at 9:30 AM to March 3 at 2:15 PM is 2 days 4 hours 45 minutes – that is 52.75 hours or 3,165 minutes.
Common uses
- How long a trip, flight or event lasts.
- Elapsed time for shipping, SLAs or response times.
- Hours between a medication dose, a booking or a deadline and now.
- Total hours for a multi-day shift or on-call period.
Only need dates, not times? Use the days between dates calculator. For working days only, try the business days calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the time between two times?
Subtract the start from the end. If the minutes of the end time are smaller, borrow 60 minutes from the hours. For times on different dates, count the full days in between and add the remaining hours.
Does it account for daylight saving time?
Yes, for your local time zone. If a daylight-saving change happens between the two dates, the real elapsed time (one hour more or less) is shown.
How many hours are in a day, a week and a year?
There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week and 8,760 hours in a 365-day year (8,784 in a leap year).
Can I calculate a duration in the past?
Yes. If the end is before the start the result is shown as negative.