Military time is the 24-hour clock written without a colon. Instead of starting over at 12, the hours keep counting to 23, so 1:00 PM is 1300 and 11:30 PM is 2330. It's used by the US armed forces, hospitals, police and fire services, aviation and much of the world for everyday timekeeping, because it removes any AM/PM confusion.
Military time chart
| Standard time | Military time | Standard time | Military time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 0000 | 12:00 PM (noon) | 1200 |
| 1:00 AM | 0100 | 1:00 PM | 1300 |
| 2:00 AM | 0200 | 2:00 PM | 1400 |
| 3:00 AM | 0300 | 3:00 PM | 1500 |
| 4:00 AM | 0400 | 4:00 PM | 1600 |
| 5:00 AM | 0500 | 5:00 PM | 1700 |
| 6:00 AM | 0600 | 6:00 PM | 1800 |
| 7:00 AM | 0700 | 7:00 PM | 1900 |
| 8:00 AM | 0800 | 8:00 PM | 2000 |
| 9:00 AM | 0900 | 9:00 PM | 2100 |
| 10:00 AM | 1000 | 10:00 PM | 2200 |
| 11:00 AM | 1100 | 11:00 PM | 2300 |
Minutes stay the same: 7:45 AM is 0745, and 4:20 PM is 1620.
How to convert standard time to military time
- From 1:00 AM to 11:59 AM: drop the colon and AM, and add a leading zero if needed. 6:15 AM → 0615.
- From 12:00 PM to 12:59 PM: just drop the colon. 12:40 PM → 1240.
- From 1:00 PM to 11:59 PM: add 12 to the hour. 3:05 PM → 15 + 05 → 1505.
- From 12:00 AM to 12:59 AM: the hour becomes 00. 12:30 AM → 0030.
How to convert military time to standard time
- 0000–0059: hour 00 becomes 12 AM. 0015 → 12:15 AM.
- 0100–1159: add a colon and AM, and remove any leading zero. 0930 → 9:30 AM.
- 1200–1259: add a colon and PM. 1215 → 12:15 PM.
- 1300–2359: subtract 12 from the hour and add PM. 1845 → 6:45 PM.
A quick mental shortcut for afternoon times: subtract 2 and drop the "1". 1500 → 3 PM, 1900 → 7 PM, 2100 → 9 PM. It works for every hour from 1300 to 2100; for 2200 and 2300 subtract 12 as normal (10 PM and 11 PM).
How to say military time
In the US military, times are spoken digit by digit or in pairs, followed by "hours":
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| 0600 | "zero six hundred hours" (often "oh six hundred") |
| 0830 | "zero eight thirty hours" |
| 1200 | "twelve hundred hours" |
| 1545 | "fifteen forty-five hours" |
| 2000 | "twenty hundred hours" |
| 0000 | "zero hundred hours", or simply "midnight" |
In hospitals and civilian life, people usually drop "hours" and just say "fifteen forty-five".
Is midnight 0000 or 2400?
Both appear, and they mean the two ends of the same day. 0000 is the very start of a day, while 2400 is sometimes used for the end of a day, for example "open 0800–2400". The US military generally avoids 2400 and writes 2359 for the end of a day instead, and the ISO 8601 standard prefers 00:00 for the start of the following day. To avoid confusion, use 2359 for deadlines.
Military time vs the 24-hour clock
They're the same system with minor style differences:
- Military style: no colon, always four digits, and often a time zone letter: 1430Z.
- Civilian 24-hour style (Europe, Asia, ISO 8601): a colon and sometimes seconds: 14:30 or 14:30:00.
Most of the world writes times on the 24-hour clock; the 12-hour clock with AM and PM is mainly used in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, India and a few other countries. Our AM and PM guide explains why 12 PM is noon.
Zulu time and time zone letters
The military gives every time zone a letter. Z (Zulu) means Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), used for operations and aviation worldwide so everyone works from the same clock. US zones have their own letters:
| Letter | Name | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Z | Zulu | UTC |
| R | Romeo | Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5) |
| S | Sierra | Central Standard Time (UTC−6) |
| T | Tango | Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7) |
| U | Uniform | Pacific Standard Time (UTC−8) |
So 1400Z is 0900R (9:00 AM EST). During daylight saving time, Eastern time is UTC−4, which uses the letter Q. Learn more in what is UTC, or convert with EST to UTC.
Counting forward? The hours from now tool shows the exact time and date N hours ahead, and is handy for shift and medication schedules.
Frequently asked questions
What is 1700 in military time?
5:00 PM.
What is 2200 in military time?
10:00 PM.
How do you write 12:30 AM in military time?
0030. The midnight hour is written as 00.
Why is it called military time in the US?
Because in the US the 24-hour clock is most associated with the armed forces. In most other countries it's just the normal way of writing time.