Military Time Converter

Convert between military time (24-hour format) and standard AM/PM time instantly. Enter military time like "1430" or standard time like "2:30 PM" to convert in either direction.

Time Format Converter

Military Time Chart

MilitaryStandardMilitaryStandard
000012:00 AM120012:00 PM
01001:00 AM13001:00 PM
02002:00 AM14002:00 PM
03003:00 AM15003:00 PM
06006:00 AM18006:00 PM
09009:00 AM21009:00 PM
110011:00 AM235911:59 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you read military time?+
Military time uses a 4-digit number from 0000 to 2359. The first two digits are hours (00–23) and the last two are minutes (00–59). For hours 1–12, AM times are the same as standard time (0900 = 9:00 AM). For PM times, add 12: 2:00 PM = 1400. Midnight is 0000, noon is 1200.
Why is military time used?+
Military time eliminates AM/PM ambiguity, which is critical in military operations, aviation, healthcare, and emergency services where confusion between 3:00 AM and 3:00 PM could be dangerous. It's also the standard in most of the world outside the US, UK, and a few other countries that use 12-hour clocks.

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How the 24-hour clock works

Hours run 00 through 23 with no AM or PM, so every time of day has one unambiguous representation. Midnight is 0000, noon is 1200, and 11pm is 2300.

Conversion rules

  • 12-hour to 24-hour: AM hours stay the same, except 12am which becomes 00. PM hours add 12, except 12pm which stays 12.
  • 24-hour to 12-hour: hours above 12 subtract 12 and take PM. 00 becomes 12am.
12-hour24-hour12-hour24-hour
12:00 AM00001:00 PM1300
6:00 AM06005:00 PM1700
9:00 AM09008:00 PM2000
12:00 PM120011:00 PM2300

The midnight and noon problem

This is where the 12-hour clock genuinely fails. "12am" and "12pm" are routinely confused, and a deadline of "12pm Friday" is ambiguous enough that people miss it in both directions.

The 24-hour clock removes the ambiguity entirely, which is why it is standard in medicine, aviation, transport schedules, the military and most of the world outside a handful of English-speaking countries.

Conventions

Military usage typically writes four digits without a colon — 1430, spoken "fourteen thirty". Civilian 24-hour usage usually keeps the colon: 14:30. Both mean the same time.

Note that 2400 and 0000 both denote midnight, but by convention 0000 starts a day and 2400 ends the previous one. On schedules and contracts this distinction decides which date an event falls on, so it is worth stating explicitly rather than relying on the reader's assumption.