How to convert military time to standard time
- 0000 to 0059: this is the midnight hour. Replace 00 with 12 and add AM. 0045 = 12:45 AM.
- 0100 to 1159: drop a leading zero, insert a colon and add AM. 0730 = 7:30 AM.
- 1200 to 1259: this is the noon hour. Keep 12 and add PM. 1215 = 12:15 PM.
- 1300 to 2359: subtract 12 from the hours and add PM. 1945 → 19 − 12 = 7 → 7:45 PM.
How to convert standard time to military time
For AM times, write the hour with two digits and drop the colon: 6:15 AM = 0615. The exception is the 12 AM hour, which becomes 00: 12:20 AM = 0020. For PM times from 1:00 PM to 11:59 PM, add 12 to the hour: 3:40 PM = 1540. 12 PM stays 12: 12:05 PM = 1205.
Where military time is used
The 24-hour clock removes AM/PM ambiguity, which is why it is standard in the armed forces, aviation, hospitals and nursing, emergency services, public transit timetables and much of the world outside the US. Many employers also print punch-clock records in 24-hour format—you can type those times straight into our time card calculator, which accepts both formats.
Military time chart (24-hour to 12-hour)
Every hour and half hour of the day. For any other minute, keep the minutes the same and convert the hour as shown.
| Military | 24-hour | Standard (12-hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 | 00:00 | 12:00 AM |
| 0030 | 00:30 | 12:30 AM |
| 0100 | 01:00 | 1:00 AM |
| 0130 | 01:30 | 1:30 AM |
| 0200 | 02:00 | 2:00 AM |
| 0230 | 02:30 | 2:30 AM |
| 0300 | 03:00 | 3:00 AM |
| 0330 | 03:30 | 3:30 AM |
| 0400 | 04:00 | 4:00 AM |
| 0430 | 04:30 | 4:30 AM |
| 0500 | 05:00 | 5:00 AM |
| 0530 | 05:30 | 5:30 AM |
| 0600 | 06:00 | 6:00 AM |
| 0630 | 06:30 | 6:30 AM |
| 0700 | 07:00 | 7:00 AM |
| 0730 | 07:30 | 7:30 AM |
| 0800 | 08:00 | 8:00 AM |
| 0830 | 08:30 | 8:30 AM |
| 0900 | 09:00 | 9:00 AM |
| 0930 | 09:30 | 9:30 AM |
| 1000 | 10:00 | 10:00 AM |
| 1030 | 10:30 | 10:30 AM |
| 1100 | 11:00 | 11:00 AM |
| 1130 | 11:30 | 11:30 AM |
| 1200 | 12:00 | 12:00 PM |
| 1230 | 12:30 | 12:30 PM |
| 1300 | 13:00 | 1:00 PM |
| 1330 | 13:30 | 1:30 PM |
| 1400 | 14:00 | 2:00 PM |
| 1430 | 14:30 | 2:30 PM |
| 1500 | 15:00 | 3:00 PM |
| 1530 | 15:30 | 3:30 PM |
| 1600 | 16:00 | 4:00 PM |
| 1630 | 16:30 | 4:30 PM |
| 1700 | 17:00 | 5:00 PM |
| 1730 | 17:30 | 5:30 PM |
| 1800 | 18:00 | 6:00 PM |
| 1830 | 18:30 | 6:30 PM |
| 1900 | 19:00 | 7:00 PM |
| 1930 | 19:30 | 7:30 PM |
| 2000 | 20:00 | 8:00 PM |
| 2030 | 20:30 | 8:30 PM |
| 2100 | 21:00 | 9:00 PM |
| 2130 | 21:30 | 9:30 PM |
| 2200 | 22:00 | 10:00 PM |
| 2230 | 22:30 | 10:30 PM |
| 2300 | 23:00 | 11:00 PM |
| 2330 | 23:30 | 11:30 PM |
Military time zones and “Zulu” time
In military and aviation messages a letter after the time shows the time zone. “Z” (Zulu) means Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), so 1400Z is 2:00 PM UTC—which is 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time or 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time. Local time is often marked “J” (Juliett). For everyday work schedules the letter is usually left off and the time is simply local.
Calculating hours with military time
One advantage of 24-hour time is that durations are simple subtraction. A shift from 0700 to 1530 is 15:30 − 07:00 = 8 hours 30 minutes. If the end time is smaller than the start (an overnight shift such as 2200 to 0600), add 24 hours to the end time first: 30:00 − 22:00 = 8 hours. The hours calculator does this for you.