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24-Hour to 12-Hour Time Converter

Convert any time between 24-hour (military) and 12-hour (AM/PM) formats instantly — and see your current local time in both formats.

24-Hour Time
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12-Hour Time
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Current time

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24-Hour
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12-Hour

How Time Formats Work

There are two common ways to express the time of day: the 24-hour clock and the 12-hour clock.

The 24-hour clock runs from 00:00 (midnight) to 23:59 (one minute before the next midnight). Each hour has a unique number, so 09:00 is always 9 in the morning and 21:00 is always 9 in the evening — no ambiguity, no suffix required. It is the international standard used in aviation, the military, medicine, scientific computing, and most countries outside North America and the UK.

The 12-hour clock divides the day into two periods of 12 hours each. The first half runs from 12:00 AM (midnight) through 11:59 AM, and the second half runs from 12:00 PM (noon) through 11:59 PM. The AM/PM suffix is required to tell which half of the day you mean. Without it, “8:00” could be morning or evening.

Conversion Rules

Converting between the two formats follows a small set of fixed rules. The minutes never change — only the hour and the AM/PM label.

24-hour → 12-hour:

24-HourRule12-Hour
00:mmReplace 00 with 12, add AM12:mm AM
01–11:mmKeep the hour, add AM1–11:mm AM
12:mmKeep 12, add PM12:mm PM
13–23:mmSubtract 12, add PM1–11:mm PM

12-hour → 24-hour:

12-HourRule24-Hour
12:mm AMReplace 12 with 0000:mm
1–11:mm AMKeep the hour01–11:mm
12:mm PMKeep 1212:mm
1–11:mm PMAdd 1213–23:mm

Common Time Conversions

The table below lists the most frequently looked-up conversions across a full 24-hour day.

24-Hour12-Hour24-Hour12-Hour
00:0012:00 AM12:0012:00 PM
01:001:00 AM13:001:00 PM
02:002:00 AM14:002:00 PM
03:003:00 AM15:003:00 PM
06:006:00 AM16:004:00 PM
07:007:00 AM17:005:00 PM
08:008:00 AM18:006:00 PM
09:009:00 AM19:007:00 PM
10:0010:00 AM20:008:00 PM
11:0011:00 AM21:009:00 PM
11:3011:30 AM22:0010:00 PM
11:5911:59 AM23:0011:00 PM

The Midnight and Noon Problem

The most confusing points in the 12-hour system are exactly midnight and noon. In 24-hour time both are unambiguous: midnight is 00:00 and noon is 12:00. In 12-hour time, midnight is 12:00 AM and noon is 12:00 PM. This feels backwards to many people — why does a new day start at “12” rather than “0”? The answer is historical: the 12-hour clock predates the 24-hour standard, and the convention stuck. If you ever need to be precise about midnight, writing “12:00 AM (midnight)” or simply using 00:00 eliminates all doubt.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 24-hour and 12-hour time?

The 24-hour format counts hours from 0 to 23 and never repeats, so there is no ambiguity between morning and afternoon. The 12-hour format counts from 1 to 12 twice per day and uses AM (ante meridiem, before noon) and PM (post meridiem, after noon) to distinguish the two halves.

How do I convert 24-hour time to 12-hour time?

If the hour is 0, it becomes 12 AM. If the hour is 1–11, it stays the same and you add AM. If the hour is 12, it stays 12 and you add PM. If the hour is 13–23, subtract 12 to get the 12-hour value and add PM. The minutes never change.

How do I convert 12-hour time to 24-hour time?

For AM times: 12 AM becomes 00, and 1–11 AM stay the same. For PM times: 12 PM stays 12, and 1–11 PM become 13–23 by adding 12. The minutes stay the same in both directions.

What is 12:00 AM in 24-hour time?

12:00 AM is midnight, which is 00:00 in 24-hour format. It marks the very start of a new day. This is a common source of confusion because the clock rolls over from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM, not to 1:00 AM.

What is 12:00 PM in 24-hour time?

12:00 PM is noon, which is 12:00 in 24-hour format. It is the midpoint of the day, when the AM period ends and the PM period begins.

Which countries use 24-hour time?

Most of Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia use 24-hour time in official, transport, and military contexts. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom primarily use 12-hour time in everyday speech, though 24-hour notation is standard in aviation, the military, healthcare, and computing worldwide.

Why is 24-hour time called military time?

The term 'military time' is common in the United States, where the armed forces adopted the 24-hour clock to eliminate ambiguity in orders and communications. Outside the US, the same format is simply called the 24-hour clock and is the everyday standard.