Elapsed Time Calculator

How to use the elapsed time calculator

Enter a start and end clock time. WorkTimeCheck calculates the elapsed duration in hours and minutes, decimal hours and total minutes. If the end is earlier than the start, the calculation treats it as the following day.

Elapsed time formula

Elapsed time is the duration from a starting clock time to an ending clock time. WorkTimeCheck converts both clock times to minutes, calculates the difference and then expresses the result as hours and minutes, decimal hours and total minutes.

From 9:15 AM to 2:45 PM there are 330 elapsed minutes. That equals 5 hours 30 minutes or 5.50 decimal hours.

Calculating elapsed time across midnight

If the ending clock time is earlier than the starting time, the calculator assumes the interval crosses midnight. For example, 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM is treated as a four-hour interval.

This calculator is intended for clock-time intervals up to 24 hours. It does not accept calendar dates or account for time zones and daylight-saving clock changes.

Elapsed time versus decimal hours

Hours and minutes are often easiest to read, while decimal hours are useful for arithmetic. Thirty elapsed minutes equals 0.50 hour, not 0.30 hour. Likewise, 1 hour 45 minutes equals 1.75 decimal hours because 45 minutes is three quarters of an hour.